Dehumanized
by Untamed Loner
Summary: AU. Something is tickling the back of Emmett's mind. His obsession with a dress haunts him and he can't seem to stay away from the place he was changed. What hold does the past have on him? When distant relatives show up at the Cullen house with a hybrid in tow, it becomes clear that in order to figure out the answers to his past, he must first help the tiny hybrid figure out hers.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_**1935, Gatlinburg, TN**_

Emmett McCarty stood in the middle of the woods, five miles off the trail where a black bear had been terrifying hikers for the past few weeks. The recently disturbed ground made him smile, knowing the creature now rested six feet beneath him. Just days ago, that very bear had been tearing him apart, throwing his body around like a damn ball. Of course, now he was strong enough to take on more than five bears at a time, all thanks to the woman currently chasing after him.

"For God's sake, Emmett, would you focus? We're supposed to be hunting so we can get out of this shit-hole town," Rosalie snapped, coming to a stop beside him.

Emmett ignored her bitching and the fact that they were supposed to be on a tight schedule. Carlisle wanted to move out tonight and the day was quickly waning.

"Do you smell it?" Emmett asked, taking a deep breath.

"Smell what?"

Instead of answering, Emmett followed his nose. Just a few feet away sat a toppled basket along with some shredded blue fabric, stained red with dried blood. It was this piece of torn material that Emmett picked up, breathing deep of the fragrance that still clung to the once-was dress. The scent tickled something at the back of his mind, but the memory wouldn't hold still long enough for him to catch it.

Growling in frustration, Emmett tossed the garment to the ground. Nothing was staying put, his mind going in a thousand different directions while he fought to remember why this particular scent was so important.

"Emmett, we need to get back to Carlisle," Rosalie hissed, grabbing his shoulder to jerk him around.

Emmett resisted, still drawn by the smell he just couldn't place. Frowning around the area where he stood, Emmett tried to focus, but Rosalie's constant bitching kept interrupting his thought process.

"Emmett!" Rosalie growled, pulling more insistently on his arm.

Realizing the only way he would get some quiet was to go with her, Emmett allowed her to turn him back towards the direction they'd come from. Before they left the clearing though, he darted back to grab the dress. Maybe his memory would come to him if he kept the garment with him.

"Rosalie? Was there a girl with me when I was attacked?" Emmett asked after they were a good distance from the spot. It was the only thing that made sense in his mind.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes before shaking her head once.

"No. You were alone."

_Then why do I keep feeling like someone is missing?_

* * *

It was the blood that drew her first, but the screams were what had her darting through the trees in order to put the dying human out of their misery. It didn't take her long to come across the young woman giving birth in the middle of the woods, her blue dress already saturated with blood as the thing inside her clawed out of her stomach.

The scent was too much and she fell to her knees beside the human. A short distance away, the sound of a gun going off echoed through the trees, bouncing back to her. Ignoring the close proximity of the other humans, she lifted the crying infant from the mother's shredded womb.

With the woman's dying breath, she whispered, "Isabella… Emmett… Not Joham."

Looking down at the baby girl in her arms, she was surprised to find dark brown eyes staring back at her from an impossibly pale face. The creature was more unnatural than natural and she felt an instant connection to the tiny half-breed.

The sound of fighting could no longer be ignored and she moved silently through the trees to see whether another human might claim the newborn. Peering through the surrounded foliage, she was surprised to see a female vampire dispatching a large bear while a human male bled to death nearby. The blond woman bent over the dark haired man after burying the carcass, lifting him gently.

The baby in her arms shifted and she looked down to see the infant staring at the human. A glance back towards the couple before her revealed that the human was staring right back. Recognizing the look for what it was, she turned and began running as fast as possible, but she knew it was pointless.

The damage had already been done.

* * *

**Disclaimer for story: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.**


	2. Chapter 1: The Hybrid

**Chapter One**

Emmett sat with his feet propped up on the coffee table, slashing zombies and wishing he were anywhere but home. Esme and Carlisle were out hunting, but Jasper and Alice were home and, damn, that was just something he did _not_ need to hear. It also didn't help that Rosie was in a snit over something Edward had done and the two of them were hissing at each other from their separate rooms. He had never wished for human hearing more than he did at moments such as this.

"Oh, yeah, Jazz. Right there."

"Will you turn off that noise? I'm _trying_ to _concentrate_!"

"Darlin', you feel so damn good."

"_Apple bottom jeans, BOOTS WITH THE FUR. THE WHOLE CLUB WAS LOOKIN' AT HER!_"

"Almost there!"

"Rosalie!"

"Oh God, JASPER!"

"_SHE HIT THE FLOOR!_"

Knowing it was pointless to even try to concentrate, Emmett stood up and took off out the front door, wanting nothing more than to escape the chaos that was his home. Taking a calming breath, he contemplated what to do, where to go. A shout and a crash from the house behind him had him taking off towards Port Angeles. Maybe he could catch the latest horror film and throw popcorn at horny teenagers.

Grinning in anticipation of the annoyance he would see on their faces, Emmett increased his speed, anxious to arrive.

* * *

Emmett walked out of the movie theater feeling a thousand times better than when he'd walked in. He'd spent the entire movie throwing popcorn at a couple who had been trying to break the record of points scored in tonsil hockey. There was nothing better than watching the guy nearly shit his pants when he turned to see who was throwing the food. Emmett was the biggest vampire he knew, topping off at 6'5" and built like a line-backer. No vampire had ever bested him in a test of strength, something he was incredibly proud of.

He smirked at the couple as they walked by him, the guy urging the girl to pick up her pace. He threw a wink at the girl when she looked back and smiled at him.

Yeah, he was a cocky son-of-a-bitch. He knew women found him attractive and he knew it wasn't just the vampire mojo. The ladies loved a man with dimples and it just so happened that he had a couple that popped up when he shot a grin.

Before he could contemplate whether or not to return home, his phone chirped, letting him know he had a new text message.

_Grab a bear and come home. Esme's worried._

Shaking his head slightly at his little pixie of a sister, Emmett took off in the direction of home, making sure to walk at a human pace until he came to the edge of town. As soon as the trees covered him, he started running.

It didn't take him long to come across a slumbering bear and wake it up. The animal was angry at being woken, but that was just the way Emmett liked his bears. Angry and loud. He batted the bear around for a few minutes before taking it down.

When he arrived home, Esme was at the door waiting for him, a worried frown on her pretty face. Carlisle sat in the living room, the paper spread across his lap. From the sound of it, Alice was tinkering away on the computer in Jasper's study while he read one of his books. Edward was playing his piano and it sounded like a new composition. Rosalie must have been sitting with him, because Emmett could smell nail polish and it was concentrated in Edward's room. Obviously they'd made up after he'd left.

"Sorry, Ma. The couples were all going at it this afternoon," Emmett explained, kissing Esme on the cheek.

Rosalie hissed at him from upstairs causing Emmett to smirk. Despite the fact that Rosalie and Edward were regular fuck buddies, she hated when Emmett referred to them as being a couple, just as she hated it whenever someone made a comment that her and Emmett's relationship was anything other than sexual.

Forever was a long time to spend alone.

"Of course, darling. Alice said you just needed some space. I worry, is all," Esme murmured, palming his face.

"I know."

"Did you enjoy the movie?" Esme asked, trying to brighten the mood.

"Well, I didn't really pay much attention to it," Emmett admitted with a grin.

Esme frowned at him, already knowing he'd misbehaved in some way.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Emmett Cullen. Do not pick on the humans," Esme reprimanded.

"Ah, but you should have seen 'em, Ma. They were making out, trying to devour each other's faces. I had to stop 'em. It was for the good of the community. Nobody wants to see that shit," Emmett said, defending himself.

"Language," Esme scolded.

Emmett grinned, leaning down to kiss her cheek once more. She reached up to pat his shoulder, turning to face Carlisle who was folding up his paper, watching them.

"Are you planning another trip?" Carlisle asked him.

"Did Alice see one?" Emmett asked, not surprised by the question.

"If she has, she hasn't told us."

Emmett had been considering it. He usually made a trip back to Tennessee every few years, always to the same area, the place Rosalie had found him being attacked. Something kept calling him back there, but he'd yet to figure out what exactly it was. The blue dress continued to haunt him, even to this day. It sat inside a bag, inside a box, inside his trunk at the back of his closet. It was the one secret from his past that he refused to give up.

"I don't know. I've been thinking about it, but I haven't decided yet," Emmett told the family patriarch.

Carlisle stared at him for a few moments, no doubt gauging him for any signs of restlessness or agitation. He knew Carlisle worried about all the trips back home, but Emmett couldn't give it up. There was something he'd lost there and he was just trying to find it again. Carlisle would never stop him from going, but Emmett always felt a little guilty when he made the trip, knowing Carlisle disproved.

"Emmett… we can look again, if you'd like," Carlisle offered.

"We've already looked, Carlisle. There's nothing to be found in records.

They had searched through every historical database they could hack into, searching for some clue as to who was in the woods around the time of his change. Nothing ever came up and Emmett had grown tired of disappointment.

"I'm sorry, son."

"I know, Pops. Don't worry about it, though. I'll be fine," Emmett assured both him and Esme as he made his way towards his room.

He ignored the concerned look Esme had as she watched him leave, knowing there was nothing he could say to bring her any sort of peace. He'd have to find it for himself before he could even think of trying to ease her worries.

As soon as he walked into his room, he made his way to the closet and the trunk that held the dress. Sinking down to the floor in front of it, Emmett pulled out the box and removed the dress from the bag inside. Holding the fabric to his face, he inhaled until his lungs had expanded as far as they would go. The scent had mostly faded after all these years, but he was still able to detect the slightest twinge of what had drawn him to the dress in the first place. Something… sweet. Like how he remembered apple pie smelling on the windowsill on an autumn afternoon.

An uncomfortable ache formed in his chest and he reached up to rub the spot over his un-beating heart. It happened every time he took the dress out, the sensation similar to that of missing someone. The problem was, he couldn't remember who it was he was supposed to be missing.

"Who were you?" Emmett whispered.

Tucking the dress back inside the bag, Emmett remained on the floor in his closet, closed his eyes and tried to think back to his human memories.

* * *

The family was spread around the house, spending the day inside thanks to the first day of sunlight in over three months. Alice had said that the week would end with a thunderstorm, giving them a chance to go out and play some baseball. Emmett was looking forward to it, anxious to get some of his pent up energy out of his system.

Rosalie and Edward had hightailed it up to Denali for a few days to a chance to "reconnect with their cousins". Yeah, right. Edward was just hoping he could be at the bottom of a four-woman dog-pile. Usually, Emmett would accompany his other single siblings to get in on the action as well, but the funk he'd been in for the past few days had kept him home, close to the dress.

"Oh!"

Emmett looked up in the direction of Alice and Jasper's room, knowing that little gasp meant she was seeing something. He heard Jasper leave his study and hurry towards their room to comfort his mate as she was held captive by her vision.

"What is it, darlin'?"

"I… I don't know. I can't see," Alice whispered, worrying heavy in her tone.

Emmett frowned at the ceiling, knowing Alice's vision had never gone dark before.

"Talk to me, Ali. What can't you see?" Jasper pressed, no doubt sending out some of his calming mojo.

"I can't see anything. Our futures just… vanished. Jasper, I can't see!" Alice cried.

"Hush, darlin'. It's alright. We'll figure it out," Jasper soothed her.

"Carlisle?" Emmett murmured, hoping the patriarch would have some knowledge of what was going on.

"Is it possible the wolves are back? Alice couldn't see them the last time we came across them," Esme pointed out from her sewing room.

"It's possible, but we haven't seen any indications in our hunts that they've returned," Carlisle said from his office.

"So something else must be blocking her," Emmett said.

"But what, if not the wolves?" Carlisle wondered, his voice trailing off as he muttered quietly to himself.

Their contemplations were interrupted by the Pussycat Dolls singing "Don't Cha". Emmett laughed as Jasper growled before quickly answering his phone.

"What the fuck, Peter?"

"_Well, hello to you, too, bro._"

"You changed your ringtone? Again?"

"_You know you like it._"

Emmett could just imagine the smug smirk on Peter's face. The two had never met, but Jasper talked to Peter at least twice a year and Emmett knew the vampire enjoyed tormenting his sire.

"What do you want, Peter? Now isn't exactly a good time," Jasper sighed.

"_Too bad, cause we're pulling into your driveway. Surprise, fucker!_"

The sound of a hand hitting the back of a head echoed across the phone and throughout the house.

"_Ow, babe! What was that for?_"

"_You know exactly what for, Peter Whitlock._"

"_It's not like she heard me. Damn, woman. Anyway, we'll be there in a sec. No really._"

"Peter, what-" Jasper started, but he'd already hung up.

Curious, Emmett walked out the front door as the rest of the family gathered to follow him. Sure enough, as soon as Emmett stepped outside, a black Chevy Silverado came speeding into view. The tinted windows might make it hard for a human to see inside, but Emmett had a clear view of the blond couple. Charlotte was clearly angry, her red eyes flashing at her mate, but Peter seemed oblivious, grinning as he threw the truck into park and hopped out.

"Hola, veggie vamps!" Peter crowed causing Emmett to chuckle.

He was only a few inches shorter than Emmett, but much leaner without all the muscles that usually intimidated people when they first met him. Peter didn't need the muscles, though. The scars all over his neck and arms were enough to make any vampire hesitate when first seeing him.

His mate jumped out of the truck behind him, still glaring daggers his way. She was much shorter, no more than five feet and almost as tiny as Alice. It was obvious Jasper and Peter shared the same taste in women. Peter just preferred blondes.

"What the hell are you doing here, asshole?" Jasper asked, walking down the steps to greet his brother.

"Nice to see you, too, Jazz. What? We can't just swing by to say hello?" Peter asked, far too innocently.

"Don't try to pull that shit with me. We haven't seen you in over seventy years. What the fuck, Peter?"

At first Emmett thought Jasper was referring to the fact that Peter had been avoiding him all this time, but that was before he heard it. Charlotte had left her door open and he could hear the distinct sound of a heartbeat coming from the back seat. It was beating far too quickly for a normal human heart. Whoever it was must be scared out of their mind.

"Yeah, about that. We need your help," Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What is it?" Jasper hissed, scenting the air.

"She's not an 'it'!" Charlotte snarled, crouching protectively in front of the truck.

"What the fuck is going on, Peter?" Jasper demanded.

"Well… it's sort of a long story, but the bottom line is that we've had a hybrid living with us for seventy years and, well… something's wrong. She's starting to get sick or something. We were hoping Carlisle could help," Peter said, glancing up to where Carlisle stood with the rest of the Cullens.

"Of course, I'll do whatever I can, but I'm not entirely sure I understand. You have a… hybrid?" Carlisle frowned, taking a step towards the truck.

Before anyone could answer, a groan came from the back seat and whoever, whatever, was in there popped up, rubbing her eyes.

"Are we there?" she asked, her voice slightly groggy from sleep.

"We are, darlin'. Why don't you come out and say hello," Peter invited, turning to watch her.

The back door opened on the driver's side of the truck and the girl jumped out. As she slammed the door shut, Emmett couldn't help but appreciate the fine example of the female form walking towards Peter. She was a bit taller than Charlotte and Emmett estimated her height at about 5'4". She had long brown hair that fell to her waist in thick waves and the darkest chocolate eyes he'd ever seen. Her legs were incased in tiny shorts despite the cool weather and he almost groaned as he imagined how those legs would feel wrapped around his waist. She was curvy in all the right places with a pair of tits just made for fucking and, hot damn, those lips would look great wrapped around his-

"Emmett!" Alice hissed, no doubt at all the decisions running through his head of how to get that girl on her knees as fast as possible.

"Sorry," Emmett mumbled, but damn, who could blame him.

He took a deep breath to help calm himself down and froze. The scent. It was here.

In the blink of an eye, Emmett was standing before the… hybrid, inhaling at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

It was her. She was the one.

"I finally found you," Emmett sighed, his hands grasping her hips to draw her closer.

He took in another deep breath, his head swimming with the delicious scent he'd been aching over for seventy years. The feel of her burned his hands through her shorts and Emmett groaned when she placed her hands against his chest, the fire shooting through him at her simple touch.

"What the fuck?"

Emmett growled, pulling the girl into the curve of his body as he snarled at the vampires around them.

"Em, you gotta calm down, man," Jasper said, shooting out soothing vibes.

Peter and Charlotte were watching him as he manhandled their… what was she to them? Their daughter? She better not be a third in their relationship, cause that shit was so not going to fly anymore.

"I know you."

Emmett looked down at the angel in his arms and felt as though he were falling off a cliff with no bottom in sight.

"Why do I know you?" she asked, sounding more than a little breathless.

Emmett didn't have an answer for her so he just kept quiet while her hands began exploring his chest.

"You… you were there. I saw you… in a clearing. There was a bear… and blood. So much blood."

"The girl in the dress… that was you?" Emmett asked, his voice no more than a whisper.

She shook her head, confusion evident across her face.

"No. I was the baby."

It came rushing back to him then, the day of his attack. Walking through the woods with his best friend's sister who had been knocked up by some drifter. Emmett had agreed to marry her, knowing her prospects were slim. She'd been a good girl, sweet and kind, and she knew how to keep house. Emmett hadn't loved her, but he'd wanted to help her. He remembered her rapid pregnancy and the way she'd grown weaker with each passing day. The day they had been out walking was her idea. She needed out of the house and Emmett had offered to take her with him on his latest job. She'd gone into labor right as Emmett had found the bear.

This girl in his arms, it was Ellie's baby.

"Isabella?" Emmett breathed, knowing that was the name Ellie had picked out for a girl.

"I prefer Bella."

* * *

**A/N: Hello all. I'm taking a break from the publishing world to bring you a new story as my book isn't going as smoothly as I would have hoped. I never have been very good at sequels... In any case, you get to benefit from my lack of inspiration on that front. I'm not sure how often updates will occur. Chapter Two is already written and I am currently working on Chapter Three. We'll see how it goes and play it by ear, kay?**

**See you soon!**


	3. Chapter 2: Venom

**Chapter Two**

She tried really hard not to growl as the biggest Cullen held her little girl in his massive, man arms, his voice low as he tried to figure out just how he knew her. She certainly wasn't going to volunteer the answer. She'd been hoping to avoid this moment forever because she knew, she knew, the moment they saw each other again, her little Isabella would no longer be hers.

She had loved Isabella since the first moment she'd taken her from that woman's womb, the little baby's brown eyes the most beautiful she'd ever seen. If it had been up to her, she would have kept the tiny baby, would have raised Isabella as her own. But it hadn't been up to her. It was never up to her.

At least she had protected her Isabella from Him. He would never find her Isabella. She knew the nomads Charlotte and Peter would protect her with their lives, as was their job. She might not be able to be with Isabella the way she wanted, but at least her Isabella was safe with the Whitlocks.

Fighting yet another growl at the way the Cullen beast lifted her Isabella into his arms, she watched in possessive fascination as the rest of the strange vampires crowded around. It would be harder with so many of them, but no one would keep her away from what belonged to her.

Isabella.

* * *

"Bella."

Emmett breathed her name, everything within him humming in satisfaction as he lowered his head once again, inhaling more of her delicious scent. A million thoughts were racing through his head, half of them questions, half of them observations, all of them about her.

"We should go inside. Seems like we have a lot to talk about," Peter said, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Seems like it," Jasper agreed, glaring at his brother.

"What the fuck you glaring at me for? I didn't do anything," Peter snapped with a smirk.

"How could you keep this from me? Seriously, do you think I can't feel the emotions flowing through the air right now? Fuck, Peter. Seventy years you kept this shit hidden. Why?" Jasper demanded.

"Jasper. Wait until we get inside. I need to examine Bella. What exactly are her symptoms?" Carlisle asked as the family walked into the house.

Emmett held Bella close, temporarily frozen as he realized his seventy-year search was over. He'd finally found his mate.

And it was with that realization that his vampire brain finally caught up with what Carlisle was saying.

"You're sick?" Emmett asked, frowning down at the tiny girl in his arms.

"Maybe? Can hybrids even get sick? It's never happened before, but Char started freaking out a few weeks ago when I… stopped hunting. I've been getting weaker and, well, it's a lot of little stuff, but it's making Char nervous so Peter packed us up and brought us here," Bella explained with a small shrug.

Without another word, Emmett bent over, slipping an arm under her knees, and lifted her up against his chest. Her hot arms wrapped around his neck and she blinked up at him in surprise.

"You said you've been feeling weak. Well, until you get your strength back, get used to me carrying you around," Emmett said with a small smile.

"That's really not necessary," Bella tried to protest.

"Too bad. Until Carlisle says different, I'm your personal vampire chauffeur," Emmett smirked.

"Is this some vampire mating thing?" Bella asked bluntly.

Emmett was sure, had he been human, he probably would have choked at her calling him out like that. As it was, he almost stumbled walking up the stairs.

"You might say that. So you feel it, too?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah. As soon as I saw you," Bella sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Me, too," Emmett whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

He walked into the house to find his family spread out across the living room with Peter and Charlotte sitting on the couch with Jasper and Alice. Carlisle and Esme sat on the loveseat nearby, Carlisle leaning forward eagerly in his excitement at a new challenge.

Emmett settled into his recliner, Bella seated on his lap. He couldn't get over how warm she was. As she shifted to get more comfortable, he had to bite back a groan when she brushed right over his cock. Biting his lip to keep quiet, he gripped her hips and moved her off him so that he could concentrate on the conversation going on around them.

"… so sudden. One day she was perfectly fine, the next she was having headaches and was unable to hunt. She can't even run anymore. She's become as clumsy as a human. We're worried, Carlisle. This has never happened before," Charlotte was saying.

"Well, I don't really have much experience with hybrids, but I'll do what I can. Is it possible to draw blood?" Carlisle asked.

Emmett could just imagine all the gears churning in his head as Carlisle slipped into Doctor Cullen. There was nothing Carlisle loved more than a new medical puzzle.

"Oh, it's possible. Especially now," Peter said with a rough laugh.

"What he means to say is that her skin is softening. It used to be as hard as ours, but now it's more pliable, like a human," Charlotte added.

Emmett brushed his fingers across Bella's cheek, testing to see if what they said was true. While her skin wasn't quite as soft as humans', it was definitely softer than his. She leaned into his touch automatically and sighed as he continued stroking down to her neck, to the place where her heartbeat thrummed beneath the skin.

"The best thing to do now would be to take her upstairs and see what we can figure out," Carlisle said, standing up.

"You go with her, Char. I gotta talk to Jazz about somethin'," Peter said, shifting so he was closer to the God of War.

"Alright. Come on, darlin'. Let's see what the doc can figure out," Charlotte grinned, holding out her hand for Bella to take.

Emmett stood up with her in his arms before she could even reach out to Charlotte.

"I'll carry her," Emmett said, already walking towards Carlisle's home office.

"Well, alright then," Charlotte mumbled, following.

"Um, you could be a little nicer, you know," Bella frowned up at him.

He tried to keep his growl in check, but just the thought of someone taking her away after he'd just found her was… irritating.

"Sorry."

It may not have been the nicest apology, but he meant it and, in the end, that's all that mattered.

"It's alright, hon. I understand," Charlotte assured him, patting his arm as she walked past him into the office.

Emmett didn't miss the smirk lighting up her face and struggled to hold back his own grin. Oh, yeah. Mama Whitlock was all for this mating.

"Bring her in and lay her down, Emmett," Carlisle instructed as he sanitized his hands.

Emmett laid her down on the couch, taking his place near her head. He pulled the ottoman over for him to sit on and tangled his fingers in Bella's silky hair. She sighed at his touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into his hand. Charlotte's grin widened from the foot of the couch, her crimson eyes glittering at Emmett.

"Alright, Bella, first I'm going to draw some blood and see what it can tell me. I'll run some standard tests and we'll go from there," Carlisle explained, coming close with a rather large looking needle.

"M'kay. Just do it quick," Bella mumbled, not opening her eyes.

"She hates needles," Charlotte explained with a chuckle.

Emmett laughed with her, shaking his head down at the tiny girl laid out before him. Of course, she didn't see, what with her eyes being squeezed shut in preparation for Carlisle's needle.

Carlisle made quick work of getting the blood. Bella gave a sharp gasp when he inserted the needle, but remained completely motionless as he drew the blood. Emmett watched closely, making sure Carlisle was careful and that she was okay. When Carlisle withdrew the needle from her arm, a tiny drop formed. Before a band aid could be placed over the miniscule wound, Emmett reached out, lifted her arm to his mouth, and licked the area.

He savored her flavor on his tongue. It was an interesting array, not exactly food, but still so tasty. There was something else, though; something that made him pause. He rolled the flavor across his tongue, trying to figure out why the taste was so… familiar.

It hit him like a newborn vampire going a hundred miles an hour.

"Fucking shit," Emmett muttered, staring down at his little mate.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked with a small frown.

Carlisle and Charlotte frowned at him as well and it was to them he replied.

"She's been bitten."

* * *

Bella sat between Charlotte and Emmett on the couch in the Cullen's living room. Peter was throwing a fit outside, uprooting trees and roaring in anger. Emmett hadn't been much better after his little announcement, his own roar shaking the entire house before Bella's whimper had brought him back into protective mode. He'd immediately crouched over her, rubbing his jaw along her hairline. She'd clung to him as Carlisle ran the tests that confirmed Emmett's suspicions.

Somehow, someone had bitten her.

She knew it couldn't have been Peter or Char. They were both so adamant that she never be bitten. Hybrid biology was so… iffy. Biting her without knowing the possible consequences? So not going to happen on their watch.

But it had.

It had to have happened while she slept and her adoptive parents hunted. They so disliked leaving her alone, knowing that if it came down to a fight between her and a full-bred vampire, Bella would lose every time. Still, they had all three believed she was relatively safe when she slept and it was during those few hours that Char and Peter would take off to go hunt.

But… she hadn't felt anything and, so far, they hadn't found a single bite mark marring her flesh.

"Maybe it healed over?" Esme had offered hesitantly.

"The venom would have left a mark, just like it does on our flesh," Carlisle had muttered back, his mind practically whirring like an overworked computer.

They had thrown a few theories back a forth from Bella having somehow orally ingested the venom to someone sticking a miniscule needle into her ass. There was nothing to confirm any of their suspicions and so Carlisle turned to trying to find a way to stop the venom from destroying her vampire traits.

Apparently, when a full-bred vampire bit a hybrid, the venom began eating away at the vampiristic cells in the hybrid's blood. Or, at least, that's how it was working on her.

She was becoming human.

"You need to breathe, darlin'," Char murmured, rubbing a soothing hand through Bella's hair.

It was so easy for her to lean over, her head resting on her mother's shoulder, close her eyes, and allow the world to fade away for a little while. She emptied her mind of all thoughts and just breathed deep.

"So, you're the gent who's gonna be takin' my daughter for a ride," Char said and Bella didn't have to try hard to hear the smile in her voice.

"I'm hoping I can take her for a little more than just a ride," Emmett scoffed, his hands dwarfing her much smaller ones as he rubbed his thumb back and forth across her knuckles.

"Honey, I can tell you right now, with my Bella, you better be prepared for one hell of a ride."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I know what to do behind the wheel."

"I'm more worried about how you are at puttin' on the brakes."

"You know vampires have a thing for fast cars."

"Doesn't mean I want you goin' petal to the metal with my little girl."

"Doesn't mean I plan on it."

Bella couldn't help but smile at the banter going on between her adoptive mother and her mate. She already knew Char liked Emmett and she was pretty sure Peter would enjoy getting to play "Protective Papa". She was certainly looking forward to joining Emmett behind the wheel of that car. Over seventy years of repressed hormones had really taken their toll and she was aching to take this monster of a man out for a test drive.

"Fuckin' shit, Char. What the hell you encouragin' him for?" Peter growled as he came strutting in through the door, Jasper right behind him.

"Peter," Charlotte scolded with a low hiss.

"Baby, I don't think my cussing up a storm is really gonna matter in the grand scheme of things," Peter said with a heavy sigh.

"Jee-zus, Peter, will you give it a break? I'm not dying yet," Bella snapped, glaring at the man who'd helped to raise her.

"Damn straight, you're not. And if you know what's good for you, you won't even think about it for another hundred thousand or so years," Peter said with a glare and a finger pointed her way.

"Yes, sir," Bella smirked, throwing a mock salute his way.

With a heavy sigh, he flopped onto one of Esme's pristine white armchairs, his feet flying up only to land on the antique coffee table. Bella wasn't entirely sure, but from the carving of the wood and the design etched into the legs, the table was probably from the mid to late 1800s, an antique by human standards, but still pretty new for vampires.

Well, vampires like Carlisle, anyway, who had apparently been around for a few centuries.

Deciding that her family had been morbid long enough, Bella popped up from her place on the couch and made her way past all the moody vampires and into the kitchen. She ignored the heavy feeling in her limbs and the exhaustion the seemed to grow with each passing hour, instead focusing on fixing herself something worth eating.

Esme came after her, followed closely by Peter, the two of them discussing how best to keep Bella's strength up with only human food to nourish her. Bella sat on the barstool in the Cullen's immaculate up-to-date kitchen and watched as Peter began to prepare her dinner.

Ever since she'd had that one slip up about a week ago, she wasn't allowed to handle pointy objects. Especially now that they could actually do some sort of damage if enough force was put behind them.

Swinging her legs in a rather child-like manner, Bella waited as Peter browned some hamburger and boiled noodles for spaghetti, a personal favorite of hers since she was little. Esme hovered nearby, taking in everything Peter did and asking questions as if she were going to be quizzed on the information at the end of the meal.

It didn't take long before Emmett made his way into the kitchen, looking decidedly uncertain about whether or not it was okay for him to be there. Bella smiled at his sheepish expression as he tried to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible.

Wordlessly, she patted the stool beside her. Before she could so much as blink, he was perched beside her, a satisfied grin stretching across his gorgeous face. In a way, she couldn't believe she was lucky enough to have him as her mate. Over the past seventy years, she'd imagined what her mate would look like, but in her wildest fantasies she never could have dreamed up Emmett. His hair was such a dark brown it was almost black. Bella had to physically restrain herself from tangling her fingers in those dark curls. Sitting beside him, she felt so small, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was safe. He was easily a foot taller than her and almost twice as wide, all of him muscle. She shivered at the mere thought of what those huge paws that he called hands would feel like on her bare skin.

The sound of a plate crashing onto the counter jerked her attention away from Emmett to find Peter glaring in her mate's direction. A plate of piping hot spaghetti was in front of her along with a fork and a glass of water. Since she'd stopped drinking blood, Peter had nearly tripled the amount of human food she usually ate. It went a long way to keeping up her strength, but she still felt weary to the bone.

Preparing herself to eat the mountain of food in front of her, Bella picked up her fork and dug in.

"God, how can you eat that?" Emmett asked, his nose wrinkled in distaste.

Bella slurped a noodle, watching him as she did, before answering.

"The same way I used to drink blood."

"It just smells so…" Emmett trailed off, unable to come up with an adequate word to describe the revolting scent of human food for a vampire.

"I know. It didn't really smell all that great to me either until this whole change started happening," Bella sighed, twirling another forkful.

"Don't worry, darlin'. The doc'll figure out what's goin' on," Peter reassured her, reaching across the island to pat her hand.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Anythin' for you, kiddo," Peter said with a wink.

"You really have nothing to worry about, Bella. Carlisle is going to work night and day to figure out what's happening to you. I wouldn't be surprised if he had an answer by the end of the week," Esme chimed in optimistically.

Bella didn't doubt Esme's claim, but she wasn't nearly as optimistic in Carlisle's abilities. As she ate the rest of her dinner, she allowed her mind to wander to what would happen if Carlisle didn't find the answer in time. Would she become completely human or would the transformation result in something a little more mortal?

* * *

**A/N: So... I'm thinking updating is going to be really random. Basically, I'll update one chapter after I've finished the chapter following it. So, you're getting Chapter Two because I've already finished Chapter Three. Make sense? This way I have a fall-back if I go too long without updating. I'll have a "reserve chapter", so to speak.**

**Alrighty, see you guys next time!**


	4. Chapter 3: Ups and Downs

**Chapter Three**

Emmett couldn't seem to help himself. The draw was impossible to escape and he found himself staring at her as she slept. The soft inhales, the contented exhales, the mumbled words and satisfied murmurs all pulled at him like nothing he'd ever felt before. He could no more stay away from her than he could give up blood.

He knew they had to focus, had to figure out what was going on with her, why she was losing strength so quickly, but the only thing on his mind was his utter joy at having finally found her. The rest would work itself out in time. He had to have faith in that.

He'd been watching her sleep all night, counting her heartbeats as they steadily slowed. If it wasn't for his certainty of it being a factor of the venom leeching her of her vampire qualities, he would have worried she was slipping into some sort of coma. As long as Carlisle didn't come bursting through the door in a near panic, he knew he had no reason to worry.

Peter and Charlotte had said she usually only slept about five hours a night, if not less. So far, she'd been asleep for nearly eight, Emmett acting as her constant guard.

From the sound of her heartbeat, he knew she would be waking up soon. It was gradually increasing, signaling her return to him. Stretching out beside her, Emmett propped his head up on his hand and waited for her beautiful eyes to meet his.

Lids fluttered like a butterfly's wing before opening and piercing him with their intensity. He literally lost the ability to breathe as she looked up at him, seeming to see into his very soul.

"Good morning," Bella murmured, breaking the spell she held over him.

"Good morning, beautiful," Emmett whispered, leaning down to kiss her sweetly.

It wasn't their first kiss, but it was their second. He'd managed to give her a brief kiss the night before as she drifted off to sleep, her happy sigh telling him more than words how receptive she was to his lips on hers.

Despite the fact that they were mates and both felt the pull, Emmett understood that they needed to take things slow. Not only was she going through a severe biological change, but they had only just met. For her, he was content to be patient and move at her pace. Still, he was a man and used to having a great deal of female company. Although he was determined to take it slow, he hoped she wouldn't hold out on him too long.

He separated their lips slowly, lingering against her moist heated flesh.

"Mmm. Now that's a 'good morning'," Bella grinned.

He watched as she stretched, her back popping as she twisted this way and that, groaning at the feeling of fluid being released from her joints.

"What time is it?"

"Almost seven," Emmett said, unable to keep his hands from tracing the vertebrae she had just cracked.

"Oh my God," Bella gaped, glancing over at the clock for confirmation.

He smelled her tears before he heard them fall, the soft drops landing rhythmically on his sheets. Slipping his arms around her waist, he pulled her back into the comfort of his arms, making soft noises of reassurance as she cried.

"It's alright, sweetheart. We'll figure it out," Emmett promised her.

"I never sleep this late," Bella sniffled, turning to burrow into his embrace.

Knowing nothing he said would help alleviate her fears, he had to content himself to simply running his hand up and down her spine, making soft shushing noises as she cried. Her fingers curled into his shirt, practically clawing at him as she expressed her fears the only way she could.

"Emmett, her breakfast is ready. Do you think you could convince her to come down or should I bring it up?" Esme asked softly from the kitchen.

"I'll bring her down," Emmett answered in a voice too soft and fast for Bella to hear.

He left Bella cry for a few more minutes before pulling her away from his chest and whipping her tears.

"We will find a way to fix this, Bella. I promise."

"I know. I'm just so scared," Bella whispered, clutching his hands in her hot ones.

"I know, babe, but I'll keep you safe until we figure it out," Emmett vowed.

She nodded against him, letting her head fall forward against his chest. He held her close for a few more minutes, allowing her to get control over herself before he broached the subject of breakfast.

"Esme made you breakfast. Ready to go down?"

"Just let me brush my teeth and, uh, have a human moment," Bella mumbled, rolling away from him.

Emmett chuckled as she shuffled towards the bathroom, running a hand through her tangled hair. He was amazed at her beauty, stunned speechless by her sexy innocence. The girl probably didn't even realize how crazy she made him. Some of the sounds she'd made through out the night had gotten him harder than a boulder.

Listening to her in the bathroom, the sound of fabric against her soft skin had him groaning in the sweetest form of agony. Reaching down, he rubbed a palm against his aching cock, trying to relieve some of the pressure.

The sound of water running and bristles meeting bone made him remove his hand from his jeans. She'd been coming out soon and having her catch him with dick in hand was not how he wanted to start their first morning together.

He grinned as he listened to her spit and the sound it made as it hit the sink before disappearing down the drain. He was sure the rest of his family would be mildly grossed out by what he thought sounded fucking adorable. His little mate was in there brushing her teeth. After searching for her for seventy God-damn years, he found it hard to find anything she did even remotely revolting.

The bathroom door opened and, instead of her catching him cock in hand, she caught him with a goofy grin on his face. She gave him a curious smile, walking around to grab a sweater thrown across the foot of his bed. It was his Forks High sweater, one of the many he collected from the high schools they'd attended over the years.

"What's so funny?" she asked, slipping it over her head.

"Nothing. Nothing at all, but you look damn fine in my clothes," Emmett said, reaching out to pull her closer.

The only thing she had on underneath his hoodie was a pair of skimpy shorts and a tank top. Even with the extra layer, the feel of her skin still burned against his hands as he stroked his hips.

Leaning forward, he laid his cheek against her stomach, sighing as her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling at the strands.

"You're so fucking awesome," Emmett murmured, nuzzling her soft tummy.

"Well, thank you," Bella chuckled, tugging his hair a little harder.

"Welcome. Now, come on, woman. Breakfast."

* * *

"No, no, no. Babe, you gotta press the blue button. Not that one!"

Emmett groaned as his mate shot him in the head, killing him instantly. The screen flashed and the voice proclaimed it a "kill shot". For the past two hours, he'd been attempting to teach Bella the find art of Xbox. So far, she hadn't really managed to get the hang of it. For the first thirty minutes, her character on screen had run around in crazy circles as she tried to figure out how to control it. It hadn't taken Emmett nearly that long to figure out it would be best to start at the beginners level.

"Alright, let's try this again. The green button is for-" Emmett began only to be interrupted by Jasper and Peter.

"You might as well give it up, son. Ain't no way you're gonna be able to get my Bells here to play this game in any sort of decent fashion," Peter drawled, plopping down beside his daughter and throwing an arm over her shoulders.

"He's right. I tried to tell you. When these games first came out, we bought him one and he's been hooked every since. He tried to teach me, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it," Bella said with a forgive-me smile.

"But, Bella, you gotta help me kill the zombies!" Emmett insisted.

"How about you let Peter help you kill the zombies and I'll cheer you on," Bella suggested, already handing her controller to Peter.

"Will you wear the skirt and everything?" Emmett asked with a sly smirk.

"Only if you win," Bella teased, shooting him a wink.

Well, damn. That plan had backfired. Now he had to play against Peter with a raging hard-on.

Moving around to sit behind him on the couch, her legs on either side of where he sat on the floor, Bella started running her fingers through his hair as she watched him and Peter duke it out on the screen. Even with his vampire brain, he was having trouble paying attention to the game with her hot hands smoothing across his scalp.

He managed to hold out for all of thirty minutes before Peter blew his ass up and the game ended. Groaning in a mix of defeat and pleasure, Emmett let his head fall back into his mate's lap.

"Babe, you are distracting," Emmett accused.

"Oh. Then you should have told me to stop," Bella frowned, removing her hands from his hair.

Emmett grabbed her hand in flash, tangling her finger back in his curls and grinned up at her.

"You're hands on me are the best kind of distraction I could ask for. Don't ever stop," Emmett demanded, his voice going hard at the end.

"Okay."

Her agreement was a husky whisper and he fought back another groan as he smelled the beginnings of her arousal. Now was not the time and sure as fuck wasn't the place.

"Jazz," Emmett pleaded, once again too low and fast for Bella's ears.

Almost instantly the lust in the room vanished to be replaced by euphoric contentment. Sighing in utter bliss, Emmett settled down for another round with Peter, certain he was going to lose again.

* * *

"I just don't understand it. I've run every test I could possibly think of. Nothing seems to be working," Carlisle seethed, running his fingers through his hair as he looked over the notes on his desk.

Emmett waited, sitting with Bella on the couch in Carlisle's office while Peter and Charlotte sat in the chairs directly in front of the desk. Esme stood behind her mate, her small hands rubbing soothing circles over his shoulders.

Emmett let his hand run through Bella's long hair as she lay curled up against him, her head laying on his leg. She hadn't spoken since they'd come into the room, but he knew she was paying close attention to everything that was said.

"Well, what did you manage to find out?" Peter asked, sounding more than a little aggravated.

"The venom is reacting faster with every passing day. At the rate her blood cells are changing, she'll be the equivalent of a human by this time next week. I can't tell you what will happen after that," Carlisle sighed.

"Then one of us will bite her and turn her into a full vampire," Charlotte said.

Emmett had to admit, it sounded like a damn good plan to him. From the way Bella relaxed against him, he knew she agreed with Char's idea, too.

"We can't. I've already administered a sample of my own venom to her blood. The venom completely destroyed the blood cells. The bite would end up killing her."

Bella was in his arms before the whimper had even finished escaping her throat. He held her close as she sobbed against him, dealing with the news of her death in the only way she could. Emmett wished he could cry with her, hating the feeling of helplessness at not being able to defend his mate from this unseen foe.

"What if someone else bit her? Maybe it's just your venom," Charlotte said frantically.

"I can run a few tests, but I don't think the results will be any different," Carlisle told her, already resolved.

This could not be happening. He couldn't be losing her after just having found her. Was God really so cruel as to take her from him? What sin had he committed that God would see fit to take his beautiful mate from this earth?

"There has to be… somethin' we can do," Peter whispered, his head lowered into his hands.

"I'll run every test I know, do everything I can, but there's only so much I can do medically," Carlisle vowed.

"Run your tests, Carlisle. In the meantime, I'm gonna make a few calls, see if I can't dig up some more information for you," Charlotte decided, already headed for the study door.

"Anything would be helpful at this point," Carlisle mumbled.

"Come on, my darling. If you're going to lock yourself in your laboratory, you'll need to feed first," Esme murmured, urging her mate from his chair.

Emmett ignored his parental figures as he ran his fingers through Bella's soft hair, her sobs gradually decreasing as he continued to soothe her. His chest rumbled with a soft growl, the steady vibrations helping his mate to relax further. A vampire's growl was different to a mate. It was a sign of power, signaling that the vampire was just a hair trigger away from a full-on snarl, a warning to any threat to back the fuck off. As Emmett growled for Bella, he imagined beating the shit out of whoever had infected her with their venom. Maybe he could even find a human to piss on the ashes.

"You alright, honey?"

It took Emmett a second to realize Peter was talking to him and he gave an unnecessary cough to hide his discomfort when Bella answered.

"I will be. I just need some time to… adjust," Bella sighed.

Peter stood from his chair and walked over to squat in front of where they sat on the couch. His hand rested on Bella's knee, the gesture meant to offer some form of comfort.

"Don't worry, Bells. Char will find out somethin' and the Doc doesn't seem to be completely useless. We'll figure it out."

"I know," Bella whispered, reaching down to cover his hand with hers.

"Buck up, kiddo. And get that mate of yours to stop growlin'," Peter said, standing up and walking from the study.

"But I like his growl," Bella said to a closed door.

"Thanks, babe," Emmett grinned, winking at her.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Bella turned back into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. His hand came up to resume running through her hair, the gesture already a habit.

"Do you really think they'll find something?" Bella asked after they'd sat quietly for a time.

"Of course. Did you see the way Charlotte looked on that phone? Mama is scary, babe," Emmett teased.

"Yeah. She's pretty good at getting what she wants. I know that glare of hers used to straighten me out real quick when I was younger," Bella chuckled lightly.

"Shit, all she has to do is quirk an eyebrow and Peter jumps to attention," Emmett laughed.

Bella leaned back to smile up at him, her eyes no longer holding water.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, sweetheart."

* * *

Emmett was watching the ball game, Bella's head on a pillow in his lap. Her fingers were tangled with his, his arm casually draped across her shoulders. Every so often, her fingers would squeeze his to which he would respond with a little tug of his own. She smiled every time, making his dead heart ache with just how damn beautiful she was. The best part was, the girl didn't even realize it.

Sure, she had the confidence all vampires had, but hers was more... reserved, he guessed. She had a hesitancy, as if she wasn't entirely sure whether or not she was doing the right thing. It was so fucking adorable he had to physically restrain himself from gushing over it. Jasper would never let him hear the end of it.

Speaking of the emo one…

"They're coming!" Alice chirped, bouncing into the room, her mate not far behind her.

"Who's coming, Ali-cat?" Emmett asked, giving her an indulgent smile.

"Edward and Rosalie! They're coming home!" Alice cheered, jumping over the back of the armchair to land on the cushion.

He knew Alice had missed Edward, the two of them being as close as any biologically connected brother and sister. Emmett just assumed it was the similarity between their gifts.

"When?" Jasper asked, grinning at his mate's excitement.

"They should be here within the hour. I would have seen sooner, but Bella's shield is still blocking me for the most part," Alice said with a sad sigh.

"Sorry, Alice," Bella mumbled.

"It's okay, Bella. I know you can't really help it. I know I wouldn't want to shove my gift down. I'd feel so naked and vulnerable," Alice waved off.

Damn, his sister was awesome.

"Thanks. I don't think you'll have to worry about it for much longer. I can feel it getting weaker as I become more… human," Bella said softly, her fingers tightening around his once more.

It had been three days since Carlisle had called the meeting in his office and so far neither he nor Charlotte had been able to come up with any new information. Bella had become more and more somber with each passing day. He hated the lifelessness that had come over her, but he couldn't seem to bring her out of her funk.

"Maybe. Or you might keep your shield. Who knows, really? For the first time ever, not me! I can't see any part of your future, but that just makes me think that you'll keep the shield no matter what happens," Alice said with a small shrug.

Bella seemed to brighten at that idea, her smile becoming a little more genuine. Emmett sent a silent thank you to his sister, never more happy to have her in his life than he was in that moment.

"You're welcome!" Alice grinned right before she leapt to her feet and practically danced down the hallway.

"My girl," Jasper chuckled, following her.

"Mine's better," Emmett whispered, leaning down to brush his lips across Bella's.

He got a full-fledged smile for that one, as well as a very nice, thorough kiss. When he pulled away, she had a slightly dazed look on her face and her cheeks were more than a little bit flushed. Hell, he couldn't have kept the cocky grin off his face if he'd wanted to!

* * *

**A/N: Alright. I haven't finished the next chapter, but it's almost done, so I figured you guys had waited long enough for this one.**

**See you next time.**


	5. Chapter 4: His Person

**A/N: Just a quick note, if you read the first two chapters before… oh, about six o'clock the day they were posted, then you haven't read the revised chapter. Sorry about that, but I was still trying to work out my posting method. In any case, be advised that Rosalie and Edward have been spending a few days with the Denali sisters, getting into all sorts of sexy situations.**

**And now, on with the chapter.**

**Chapter Four**

Oh, she was burning, _burning,_ with _hatred_ and _anger_ towards _Him._ She hadn't been able to see her Isabella for days and she had finally learned why. Her darling, sweet, innocent Isabella was being poisoned.

By _Him._

Somehow, He had found her, found out _her_ relationship to her. Now He was playing, trying to get her to reveal herself, but she would never. To do so would only cause more harm for Isabella and that was something she refused to do.

She had listened in as the doctor ran test after test, always coming up with the same results. None of the venom samples he combined with her Isabella's blood would start the transformation.

Maybe… maybe _His venom_ would slow it down or reverse it.

…. But how to get it without Him getting suspicious?

Well, if there was one thing she knew about _Him,_ it was that He was always free with His venom in one specific instance.

Everything within her rebelled at the idea, but she knew she had to do this.

_For Isabella._

* * *

"They're here!"

Emmett smirked as Bella groaned, having been on her way to dreamland. His little mate slept more and more as the days went by, a result of the venom gradually changing her. He found it damned adorable, but it was also a constant reminder that time was of the essence. If they didn't find a cure soon… the thought didn't bare thinking.

He was quickly brought out of his morose thoughts as Alice spun through the room like a happy twister on her way to fling open the front door. Bella rolled unsteadily to her feet, reaching down a hand as if to help him stand. He allowed her the illusion, groaning slightly as he stood up. He kept her hand folded in his, loving the heat that traveled up his arm, across his shoulders, down his chest to nestle quite contently over his heart.

"So, tell me again about Edward and Rosalie?" Bella requested as they made their way to the door.

"Rosalie's kind of a bitch and Edward's a real snob, but they're both good people… er, vampires."

She smiled at his slip up, briefly lighting up his whole world, like a shooting star or a falling comet.

"You're awesome," Emmett couldn't help but tell her, hearing the awe in his own voice.

"Thanks," Bella mumbled, ducking her head in an effort to hide her blush.

"Welcome home!" Alice cheered from outside.

Emmett chuckled as he pulled Bella outside with the rest of their family to greet his stray siblings. Even Charlotte had put down the phone long enough to come out and say hello. She hadn't stopped calling people for the past three days.

Edward and Rosalie were just getting out of Rose's BMW M3 convertible when he and Bella joined their family. All it took was one shift in the air and all hell broke loose.

In the span of a second, Edward leapt through the air, aiming his razor sharp teeth as Bella, his eyes as black as death. At the same time, Alice screamed out, turning towards where Emmett held Bella at his side. In the next second, Emmett turned, taking the brunt of Edward's attack and pushing Bella into Charlotte's waiting arms, Peter instantly moving between his mate and daughter and the monster trying to attack them.

Emmett roared as Edward's teeth pierced through his skin, the venom stinging like a bitch, but so worth it because it meant Bella was still alive.

His roar of pain became one of fury as he grabbed Edward by his hair and threw him into the yard, following a millisecond later to land on top of his little brother. Emmett hand found purchase on Edward's neck and with a vicious rip, his head came off, satisfying the beast inside enough that Emmett was able to stumble away from his brother.

For five long seconds, no one said a word and the only sound was Bella's faster than normal heartbeat and her heavy breathing.

"Emmett! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Rosalie screamed, charging towards Edward's thrashing body.

"Protecting what is _Mine!"_ Emmett snarled, keeping himself between Edward and his mate.

"Yours?" Rosalie frowned, holding Edward's snarling head.

_"Mine,"_ Emmett confirmed, his voice broking no argument.

Her gaze traveled past him to take in the way their family protected Bella, placing her at the center of their huddle on the steps. Jasper and Carlisle stood in front with Alice and Esme beside and slightly behind them. Peter stood to the back, just in case either Rosalie or Edward managed to leap over the rest of the family, and Charlotte stood in the center, her arms wrapped protectively around her daughter as she bared her teeth at the newcomers.

Slowly, realization dawned on Rosalie's face and Emmett relaxed infinitesimally.

_"Her?_ You are mated to _her?!"_ Rosalie screeched, throwing Edward's head aside.

"Yes," Emmett hissed, crouching once more.

She gave an inarticulate scream of fury before charging him, claws bared. Emmett easily fought her off and had her subdued in a matter of seconds. Her entire body trembled in her rage as she hissed and spat at him.

"Let me go, you bastard!" Rosalie screamed.

"Not until you calm the fuck down," Emmett growled, tightening his hold until he heard something pop.

"CARLISLE!" Rosalie shrieked.

"Calm down, Rosalie. Emmett let her go," Carlisle said, walking forward slowly.

Reluctantly, Emmett released her, but kept a wary eye on her as she spun around and began the process of reattaching Edward's head. Carlisle moved quickly to help her, knowing how reattaching any limb could be complicated, but none more so than the head.

While the two of them were busy, Emmett backed away towards the house. Once he was a good distance away, he turned and hurried the remaining few steps to his mate. Without a word, he took her in his arms and swept her back into the house. He didn't so much as pause as he made his way up the stairs and into his room.

Neither one of them spoke as he laid her down on the bed and then proceeded to methodically inhale every inch of her. He started at her toes and worked his way up until his lips were even with his.

"Better?" Bella asked, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.

"Better," Emmett agreed, his voice rough.

He lowered himself until his body completely covered her, effectively drenching her in his scent. He growled for her, reassuring her that he was still paying attention to Carlisle reprimanding Rosalie and Edward outside, that he was aware of Charlotte and Peter standing guard at the bottom of the stairs, of Esme puttering around in the kitchen to prepare dinner for his mate, and of Alice and Jasper standing outside the front door, keeping watch to make sure Edward and Rosalie behaved themselves.

All of it registered, but the majority of his attention was focused on his mate who, finally, allowed the shock of the last few minutes to leave. Her fingers curled in his shirt and she began to tremble in his arms. He growled louder, trying to reassure her, his fingers running through her hair.

"I've got you, sweetheart. You're safe," Emmett assured her.

"God, he was so fast," Bella gasped between sobs.

"I was faster."

"His eyes were… black. Like he was thirsty."

"Doesn't matter. I stopped him."

"He could have killed you."

"Nah. No lighter."

Bella jerked her head back at his cavalier tone, brown eyes impossibly wide.

"You… you… you…"

"Stopped him, babe. I stopped him from getting to you. I stopped him from drinking from you. I stopped him from hurting me. I. Stopped. Him," Emmett said, trying to drill it into her thick skull.

Bella heaved a shaky sigh and Emmett felt all the tension release from her body. He allowed his own body to relax, nuzzling at her soft hair.

"Sorry," Bella croaked from her place beneath him.

"Don't apologize. From what I understand, it's the first time you've ever been attacked. You have every right to break down a little bit," Emmett assured her.

"You're awesome."

Emmett briefly wondered if she realized that when he said "you're awesome", he was really saying "I love you". And, if she did, was this her saying it back?

"You're awesomer," Emmett answered, just to be safe.

* * *

Emmett stood at the bottom of the staircase, arms folded across his chest as he listened to Edward try to explain himself. Bella stood behind him, nervously clinging to one of his biceps as she peered around him to watch the going-ons of his family.

"Oh, God. I can hardly stand it. She smells so good," Edward groaned, his eyes quickly turning to black.

Only Jasper's manipulation of his emotions kept him seated and… swaying slightly.

"Edward, you must resist. Bella is a part of our family, now. Beside, you know Emmett will never let you near her," Carlisle said, his hand resting on Edward's shoulder in an attempt to keep him calm.

"I can't… It's not… so good…"

"Read Bella's thoughts, Edward. Bella doesn't want to be eaten. Bella doesn't want to die," Carlisle said, still that same soothing voice.

Emmett almost snorted, and probably would have if his mate hadn't been in danger. Carlisle's technique of dealing with the situation was to use Bella's name as much as possible to remind Edward that she "was a person, too".

Damn right, she was. _His_ person. _Edward_ could go fuck right off.

"Here, darling. Drink this," Esme insisted gently, dropping a mountain lion at Edward's feet.

Instantly, Edward latched onto the dead animal's neck, drinking frantically. The rest of the family clustered around him, worried about his well-being, if he was going to be okay. Emmett watched his eyes, frowning when they didn't lighten with the animal blood.

And then, understanding.

"Fucking shit."

"Em?" Bella whispered, her fingers tightening on his arm in concern.

"She's your singer," Emmett said, answering both Bella and the curious glances of his family.

And there went the fucking light bulb. Every vampire knew about singers: the one human whose blood called to their kind unlike any other. And his little mate was Edwards.

Fucking shit didn't even come close to covering it.

"Esme, Rosalie, go get him a few more," Carlisle murmured, handing his wife the carcass of the mountain lion.

The two wordlessly slipped from the room, but Emmett heard their whispers as soon as they hit the forest. He ignored Rosalie's idiocy and silently thanked whatever god was above for the gift of Esme as she quickly scolded Rosalie for her callousness. As if he would allow Rose to harm one hair on Bella's head.

"This ain't gonna work, Doc," Peter said, arms folded across his chest as he glared at Edward.

"I know it's not ideal, but-" Carlisle started.

"There ain't no 'but' about it, Carlisle. Bella needs to be here so you can run your tests, but it's not safe for her to stay in the same house as him. He needs to go," Peter demanded.

"Where do you get off telling me where I can and can't stay? You are a guest in this house, whereas I live here," Edward snapped, glaring up at Peter.

"I don't really give a shit, kid. Go back up to those hot, little Denali sisters you've been sexin' up for the past week. Come back when you've gotten some control," Peter snapped.

"You bastard!" Edward screamed, fighting against Carlisle's sudden hold.

"Maybe next time you should take an extra dip in the lake before you come home," Peter smirked.

Well, damn. Emmett had known about Edward's sex life because, well, he and Edward had shared girls on occasion. But Emmett knew Edward had kept that part of his life quiet from the rest of the family.

Except for Rose.

Obviously.

"Calm down," Carlisle hissed, jerking Edward back into his chair.

Edward snarled at Peter, baring his teeth in a show of aggression. Three answered snarls echoed his.

"Son, you need to remember that there are three mated pairs in this room right now. You're going to make one of them attack you if you don't calm down," Carlisle said, placing a restraining hand on Edward's shoulder.

Emmett bared his teeth at his brother, a silent and not so subtle reminder that he would be more than happy to teach Edward how to behave. The hard way.

Like always, Edward averted his eyes and tilted his neck to the side, a silent show of submission. Little brother never did like to get his clothes dirty.

"Perhaps it would be best if you spent some more time in Denali, son," Carlisle sighed, taking notice of their silent dominance display.

"No, please. I promise, I won't attack her," Edward insisted.

"Edward, I don't think-"

"I can beat this. I'm strong enough to handle it."

Emmett couldn't believe Carlisle was actually considering it, but sure enough, the fool was looking around at the other vampires in the room as if deciding if they would allow him to let Edward remain.

And then Bella opened her fucking mouth.

"We can't kick him out of his home. If nothing else, I should leave."

Insanity. Fucking chaos is the only way to describe everyone's reaction.

Emmett had her clasped to his side faster than a beat of her heart while Peter roared at Edward and Charlotte hissed at Bella. Of course, Charlotte's hiss just set off Emmett's beast even more and he gave a roar of his own as a warning. Edward, finally deciding to man up, snarled at Peter and attempted to get out of his seat to attack. With a muffled growl, Carlisle pulled him back into the chair, keeping his gaze on Peter's crouched form.

And the whole time, Jasper and Alice stood off to the side, smirking.

"Alright, that's enough. Bella, you don't need to go anywhere. Not that Emmett would allow you to, from the looks of it. As for you, Edward. I've seen that if you feed three times a day while you acclimate to her scent, you should be fine. Just make sure you don't skip a meal," Alice said, acting as the voice of reason.

Bella's heated hand on his arm allowed Emmett to calm down, her reassurance that she wasn't going anywhere without him helped him lock the beast back in its cage. He squeezed her to him, lowering his head so his nose was pressed against her pulse point and inhaled deeply. Her scent erased the last of the tension from her body and he was able to relax against her.

"Are you sure, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"Positive. There is no danger to Bella from within this house."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, everyone. The next chapter is going to be an Outtake, posted in... two days? Yes, two days time. It's a little darker and involves non-consensual sex. If you'd rather not read, you won't miss anything in regards to the plot line, just specific details that are not required in order to follow the story. I'm hoping to have Chapter Five finished and ready to go up two days after I post the Outtake, so expect it... late on the 17th or early on the 18th.**

**See you next time!**


	6. Outtake: Getting the Venom

**Outtake: Getting the Venom**

**WARNING: CONTAINS NON-CONSENSUAL SEXUAL CONTENT**

He had been just as brutal as she'd know He would be. She had fought as much as she usually did, even knowing, _knowing,_that she had to do this. For Isabella. Always for her Isabella.

She had been avoiding their camp for days. She knew she would be punished for skipping out, but she hadn't been able to stay away from _her._

It shouldn't have surprised her when _He_ dropped down in front of her like some sort of dark, avenging angel, but it had. She's gasped an unnecessary breath and stumbled back unthinkingly. His hand had shot out, grabbing hold of her hair and forcing her to her knees, submitting her to _His_will.

"Where have you been, my little flower?"

His voice was all smooth silk over hard steel as He petted her like the bitch she was to Him. Only good for one thing.

She didn't answer, knowing He wouldn't expect one. His fingers trailed down her cheek before wrapping around her throat in warning.

"You shouldn't wander, darling. I worry, you know."

She trembled in His grasp, unable to keep the venom from filling her eyes. She closed her eyes when He fingered the dark black of her jacket before tearing it from her body. She heard each catch of teeth as He lowered His zipper and His sigh of relief as He took out His cock. Against her will, she cried out when He slapped her in the face with His hardened member.

"Open."

It wasn't a request and she knew she had to do this.

_For Isabella_.

She suckled Him the way He liked, trying to control her instinct to bite down hard as He shoved His dick all the way down her throat, cutting off her air supply. The memory of choking as a human made her whimper, but He simply groaned in response. _He loved it_when she fought. His fingers in her hair tugged painfully hard when she tried to pull away.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not yet, darling."

Just when she thought He might be finishing, He pulled out of her mouth, throwing her down on the cold ground. He was on her before she could even consider moving, ripping the rest of her clothing from her body until she was bare before Him. Using His superior strength, He flipped her over and pulled her up onto her hands and knees before mounting her like a bitch.

Her forehead fell to the forest floor as sobs wracked her body, but it only seemed to add to His pleasure. His nails cut into her back, causing venom to ooze from the wounds and she screamed out in pain, clawing at the dirt. _He_laughed.

By the time He _finished,_she had at least twenty new marks on her body, all from his nails and teeth. Still, it was all worth it when she felt His semen fill her, knowing it held His venom.

"Good, little bitch."

She hid her smile in the leaves, trembling in relief and excitement. She'd done it.

_For Isabella_.


	7. Chapter 5: Pancakes and Shit

**Revised 1/12/13**

**Chapter Five**

Emmett stared at the small container of cum on the Cullen's front porch. Even through the plastic lid, he could smell the venom within and he felt his eyes steadily turning from gold to black. One breath through his mouth and he could taste the scent of the venom and knew it was the same venom that was slowly destroying Bella.

Though he wanted to roar his frustration, beating his chest in anger as he took off to find this mysterious vampire who dared drop the very evidence that was killing his mate, Emmett simply picked up the container and stepped back inside the house.

It was late and darkness surrounded the house, none of the lights were on as Bella was currently sleeping. Normally, he wouldn't have even considered leaving her side, having been with her almost every possible minute since her arrival (with no idea as to how long he might have with her, he was loath to let even the smallest amount of time pass without her by his side), but that was before the doorbell rang.

He hadn't heard any vampires approaching, hadn't smelt any on the air, or felt the vibration of their steps as they had made their way to the house. Whoever this vampire was, they were incredibly stealthy, managing to travel completely under the radar of other vampires.

It made him nervous.

The rest of his family had gone out for a late night hunt in an effort to support Edward's effort not to eat Bella and Peter and Charlotte had gone off for a little alone time, leaving him alone to protect Bella. They all knew Emmett would never let _anyone_ near his Bella, that he would fight harder than all of them combined to keep her safe.

Still, knowing he was the only line of defense between his tiny more-human-than-vampire mate with an _unknown_ vampire close by had him rushing back to her side, but not before dropping off the container of vampire semen at Carlisle's study.

She was sleeping as soundly as she'd been when he left, her arms wrapped around his pillow in his absence. As soon as he laid down beside her, she abandoned his pillow to curl into his side. Closing his eyes against the ache in his chest, he pulled her closer, nuzzling her neck to inhale her sweet, comforting scent.

He tried to empty his mind, knowing he wouldn't be able to find an answer to his questions until Carlisle returned home. Instead of dwelling on who had brought the venom, how they had managed to get to the house without him knowing, and why they'd brought it at all, Emmett focused on the steady rise and fall of his little mate's chest, the rhythm of her heartbeat, and the soft murmurs that passed through her lips as she dreamed. He was ridiculously pleased to hear his name several times throughout the night. He knew that if he could sleep, he'd be dreaming about her constantly.

He heard his family come in just before dawn, Charlotte and Peter returning as the sun peaked over the trees, sending a ray of light through the window of his and Bella's room. Emmett grinned as Bella groaned, turning away from the shaft of light in annoyance.

"It's time to wake up," Emmett murmured, his lips brushing against the silky skin of her neck.

"No," Bella mumbled into her pillow.

"Yes. Unless you like cold pancakes."

Slowly, her head rose from the pillow until she was blinking blearily at him.

"Pancakes?"

"Yep. Esme just poured the first batch onto the griddle."

"Mmm. Pancakes."

"Yes, pancakes. But not unless you get out of bed."

"_Pancakes_."

Well, fuck. She was broken.

"Babe?"

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

"Pancakes, Em. _Pancakes_."

"Right."

* * *

_I love her. I love her. I love her._

Maybe if he kept reminding himself of this fact, he'd be able to handle watching her completely lose her shit.

All over a stack of pancakes.

Fuck.

It was almost worse than watching a newborn feed for the first time. There was syrup fucking _everywhere_, bits of pancake all around her plate, and he was pretty sure there was even some in her hair.

Now he understood why Charlotte and Peter had disappeared before Bella came downstairs. It was like watching a deer fuck a bear. All kinds of wrong, but you can't help but stare with your mouth wide open in a mix of shock, disbelief, and disgust.

Well, if it were to ever happen, that is. Emmett had never seen a deer fuck a bear and he _really_ hoped he _never_ had to watch his mate eat pancakes again.

"Mmmmm. So good," Bella moaned, using the last bite of pancake to sop of as much syrup as possible.

Emmett watched as she popped that piece into her mouth, her eyes closing in bliss as she chewed and swallowed. Her fork hit the plate with a gentle clatter, signaling the end of breakfast.

_Finally_.

"Thanks, Esme," Bella smiled, completely oblivious to the stares she'd received all throughout her meal.

"Uh, you're welcome, dear," Esme murmured, eyes wide as she picked up Bella's plate.

"God, I love pancakes," Bella sighed happily, patting her stomach.

"Yeah, we could kinda tell," Emmett teased.

She just grinned at him, licking lingering traces of syrup from her lips. If the sticky substance hadn't tasted extremely disgusting, he might have licked her lips for her. As it was, he'd wait until she'd brushed her teeth before venturing even a peck.

"Darling, why don't you go shower before you have you talk with Carlisle?" Esme suggested, rag in hand, ready to wipe off the counter.

Bella nodded, sliding from the stool and making her way out of the kitchen. Emmett glanced at his mother, smirking as she began to viciously clean the entire counter.

"Smooth, Ma."

"Darling, I'm sorry, but _that_ is something I never want to see again. I only wish our recall wasn't so… _sensitive."_

He chuckled as she shuddered lightly, scrubbing all the harder at a stubborn spot of syrup.

"At least the rest of the family was spared," Emmett said.

"Think again, brother," Alice chimed from her and Jasper's room.

"A vision, Ali? You couldn't have warned us?" Emmett asked.

"It wouldn't have helped."

"We'll just… stay away from pancakes from now on," Esme decided, throwing away the used rag instead of attempting to wash it of all the syrup.

"Sounds good, Ma," Emmett agreed, unable to completely hold back his laughter.

"Hush and go see your father." Esme shooed him from the kitchen, even going so far as to whip him with a dishtowel.

"Watch what you do with that thing," Emmett warned, jumping out of her way.

Getting hit wouldn't hurt him, but he figured Esme would be pretty upset if he ripped one of her towels by letting it smack him in the ass him.

"Go," Esme demanded.

"Alright, alright. I'm going," Emmett said, hands raised in a silent plea for mercy.

He heard the shower shut off as he walked into Carlisle's study, Bella's soft singing coming to an abrupt halt. It didn't matter, shower on or off, they could all hear every word she sang, but for some reason, she stopped singing as soon as she turned off the water. Emmett figured it was the illusion of them being unable to hear her and he wasn't going to deny her the comfort. He loved hearing her slightly off-key singing, even if it grated on his family's ears a little.

"Ah, Emmett, good. Come look at this, will you?" Carlisle requested, leaning over a microscope.

Emmett walked over and bent down to peer through the lens.

"Now, this is the sample I took from Bella yesterday. And this," Carlisle said, shifting something around. "Is the sample dropped off at our door last night. Notice the similarity between the venom in the semen and the venom attacking Bella's cells?"

"It's from the same vampire?"

"Most definitely. And now that I can prove it, we should be able to find out who it is," Carlisle said excitedly.

"How? It's not like we can go up to every vampire we come across and ask for a sample of their venom."

"No, but… you know I spent time with the Volturi in the early 1700s. A few decades prior, Italy was a major player in the field of microscopic biology. Aro requested that I find a way to use the new technology available to create a database for all vampires. That is why, upon completing their first year, all newborns are required to visit Volterra, to give a sample of their venom for Aro's records," Carlisle explained.

"But I never went-" Emmett started.

"Because I began the database, Aro allows me a little leniency. I send a sample of every vampire I changed, including you," Carlisle said with a small smile.

"Damn, Pops. How'd you manage to keep that under wraps?"

"Please, Emmett. With as long as I've been around?" Carlisle scoffed.

"So, you think this vampire who bit Bella is in your system?" Emmett asked, getting back on topic.

"I know he is. I've already identified him."

* * *

"Do you really have to go?"

Emmett stood in the corner of the living room, watching as his mate said goodbye to her mother. Peter stood off to the side, looking just as upset as Bella. He was being left behind, too.

"Darlin' girl, I'll be back before you know it," Charlotte promised, kissing Bella's forehead.

"But I'll miss you so much," Bella sniffled, hugging Charlotte tight.

"I know and I'll miss you, too, but you need to stay here and I need to follow this lead. Besides, Peter will be with you."

"And I ain't too happy bout it, neither," Peter grumbled.

"Do you really want to leave our daughter _alone _right now, Peter Whitlock?" Charlotte asked, getting a dangerous look in her eye.

"Hell, Char. She's not gonna be alone! What do ya think she's got _him_ for?" Peter huffed, jerking a thumb in Emmett's direction.

"He's right. Maybe he should go with you," Bella said, biting her lip in worry.

"Hush now. I'll be fine and we all know I move faster without that behemoth taggin' along behind me," Charlotte insisted gently.

"Promise you'll call us every day," Bella demanded, more tears slipping down her face.

"Twice a day," Charlotte said with a small grin.

"You miss one phone call, little missy, and I'm comin' after you," Peter warned, grabbing his mate up and holding her close.

"Deal. Keep her safe while I'm gone," Charlotte whispered, low enough so Bella wouldn't be able to hear.

"Always," Peter answered, kissing her sweetly.

"Be good. I love you both."

With that, Charlotte walked out the door and disappeared into the trees. Peter and Bella watched for as long as they could, which obviously meant Bella turned away sooner. Peter and Emmett could still hear her rushing through the trees, but eventually the woods fell silent to her movement.

"Come on, brother. Let's play some Halo," Emmett offered, clapping a hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Fuck that shit. Let's play Call of Duty."

"You're on."

In truth, it was a bit of a distraction for both of them. Yesterday, Carlisle had sent word out to Aro that he needed Demetri's assistance. Normally, Aro wouldn't send out his prized tracker, but Carlisle had explained the situation. Apparently, Aro had a hybrid of his own and the knowledge that someone had attacked another hybrid, causing the vampire gene to fail, had him worried enough that he was willing to send Demetri to aid them in tracking down the vampire responsible. Carlisle and Esme were currently on their way back from picking Demetri up at the airport.

From the sound of things, Edward was upstairs playing his piano, one of the few distractions he had to keep his thoughts off Bella's blood. Alice was with Jasper in his study, the two of them talking quietly amongst themselves about the possibilities of how to best handle the vampire once Demetri found him. And Rosalie…

Was in the kitchen?

Instinctively, Emmett's arm wrapped around Bella's body where she lay against his leg. The two of them took up the entire couch, despite Bella being so small. He took up almost half of it alone and took up even more as he attempted to cover his mate as best he could.

The kitchen was her domain. Well, hers, Peter's, and Esme's. No one else went in there since there was really no need. The thought of Rosalie puttering around in Bella's food source was causing Emmett some unnecessary tension. From the way Peter kept glancing at the kitchen door, Emmett knew he wasn't alone in his apprehension.

"Should we stop her?" Emmett asked, low and fast enough that Bella couldn't hear.

"Nah. She won't try anything," Peter answered in the same tone.

Emmett wasn't so sure, but with everything that had been going on, he figured he might just be a tad bit paranoid. Instead of doing what he wanted to do, which was go into that kitchen and draw Rosalie out by her hair, he settled back against the couch, tightened his hold on his mate, and continued to kick ass at Call of Duty.

It wasn't until he and Peter were in their second battle that Rosalie exited the kitchen, plate in hand. Instantly on alert, Emmett paused the game so he could watch her walk towards Bella, sickly sweet smile on her face.

"Here. I made you dinner," Rosalie said, setting down the plate on the coffee table.

"Oh. Wow, um, thanks," Bella mumbled, sitting up to take the plate of… something.

"What the fuck is that?" Peter asked, grimacing at the pile of… stuff.

"Dinner for the human," Rosalie explained with a pleased smile.

"It looks like shit," Peter scowled.

"Smells like shit, too," Emmett added, frowning at the food in question.

"All human food smells like shit, though," Peter said thoughtfully.

"No, I mean… this _really_ smells like shit," Emmett said, lifting the plate out of Bella's hands and inhaling deeply.

Sure enough, the strange meat wasn't exactly kosher.

"What the _fuck_, Rose?!" Emmett snarled, flinging the food out a window.

The glass shattered on impact and everyone in the house froze as Emmett leapt to his feet, placing himself between Rosalie and Bella.

"I was just trying to be nice," Rosalie said defensively, but Emmett could hear the underlying tension in her voice.

She was nervous.

"Bullshit! What the fuck was that, huh? Some kind of kill that's been sitting out for a few weeks? How could you _not_ fucking smell the bacteria growing all over that shit?" Emmett snapped, venom pooling in his mouth.

"Emmett, she probably didn't realize-" Bella started, but he quickly cut her off.

"Oh, she _realized_. What? Do you think if you make Bella sick I'll just leave her? Did you think that if that food ended up killing her, I'd actually go back to fucking around with _you_? Did you think, for even _one_ _second_, that I would let you _live_ after pulling this _shit_?" Emmett practically roared at her.

When he saw the victorious smile on that bitch's face, he realized he'd fallen into one of her tricks. Glaring at her smug grin, he tried to think of what he had said that would make her so happy.

"Wow. You really are a bitch."

Emmett swung around to stare at where Bella was rising from the couch, gaping at the look she was shooting Rosalie. It was somewhere between a glare and a snarl and looked down right fucking _scary_ coming from the tiny girl beside him.

"_Excuse _me?" Rosalie huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"I don't think I will. Really, though? I know he's not a virgin, Rosalie. He's been a vampire for over seventy years. That's a long time to be alone. And I'm not surprised he's been with you. After all, you are an unmated female living with two unmated males. Honestly, who wouldn't take advantage of that? Still, _I'm_ his mate, which means _you_ will _never_ have him again," Bella said, the deadly calm of her voice so much scarier than if she had screamed the words.

"I'm not the only one he's been with. He's been with hundreds of women, even as many as three at a time," Rosalie said, trying to get a rise out of Bella.

"Well, he's a one-woman kinda man now, so _back_ the _fuck_ _off_ or so help me Peter, I will shove my fucking _boot_ _up your ass_," Bella hissed.

"Just tell me which boot, darlin', and I'll get to shovin'," Peter said, smirking as he lounged in the armchair.

"You'll never be able to satisfy him. He's a man-whore. A little virgin half-vampire will never be able to keep up, and you're not even a half-vampire anymore," Rosalie sneered.

Now, Emmett had been content to let Bella handle Rosalie up until that bitch started talking about Bella being unable to satisfy him. That shit was just not gonna fly and he stepped between the two women real quick, reaching an arm behind him to hold Bella against his back.

"Fuck off, Rose. I may have slept around, but I've not nowhere near the number of notches in my belt as you've got on that bedpost of yours," Emmett said with a murderous glare.

"How dare you!" Rosalie gasped, moving to slap him.

Emmett easily caught her hand and pushed her away from him, unless he be tempted to hit her instead.

"Go for a hunt, Rose. You need to get away from me before I do something we'll both regret," Emmett warned.

"Fine. But know this, that little bitch has already been claimed. She doesn't belong to you or even Peter and Charlotte. She was claimed the day she was born and nothing you do will break that bond when her true owner comes calling," Rosalie threatened.

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked, voice dangerously low as he moved to stand beside Emmett.

"I'm talking about her _real_ mother, the one who was there at her birth."

"Ellie's dead, Rose. She died when Bella was born," Emmett argued.

"Not _Ellie_. Her vampire mother, the one who raised her the first few days of her life. _Victoria_."

* * *

**Duh-duh-dun! Okay, so the next chapter hopefully won't take as long and I'll try to remember to update the edited version after I get in touch with Augustmoon99. But, yeah. Expect it within a week or so.**

**See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 6: Bella's Past

**A/N: This chapter has yet to be beta read. Revised chapter will be posted after Augustmoon99 and I get to it.**

**Chapter Six**

Bella wasn't sure what Rosalie was talking about. Despite the memories that arose after meeting Emmett, she knew very little about her life before she arrived at Charlotte and Peter's doorstep. By then, she had the appearance of a human child around the age of a young toddler, already able to form speech, though unable to walk. She had been wrapped in a blanket, soaked in blood, when Peter had opened to door of their home to find her on their stoop. She remembered smiling up at him with a soft "hello". From that moment on, she had been Peter and Charlotte's daughter. She had no knowledge of this Victoria Rosalie mentioned.

"How do you know this, Rose? What did you do?" Emmett demanded, his hand reaching out for Bella's hand in order to pull her under his arm.

"_Me_? I didn't do anything. It's _her_! She came here and ruined everything. We were happy before that little… _freak_ showed up. Is it so wrong to want her to go back to wherever the hell it is she came from? Give her back to the bitch, let her die a human death, I don't really care. I just want her gone!" Rosalie practically screamed, fingers curling into claws as she ranted.

Before Bella could so much as blink in surprise, Peter had Rosalie pinned against the far wall, his hand tight around her neck as plaster rained over them. A crack fissured up the wall and onto the ceiling as Peter pressed her harder into the wall. His growl echoed off the windows and even Bella could hear the responding snarls from the vampires upstairs. In a matter of moments, the entire Cullen family stood at the base of the staircase, watching as Peter continued to torture their sister.

"You threaten my girl again and I will set your ass on fire before findin' a whole host of humans to defecate on your ashes. Don't fuck with me, girlie. Tell me what you know. NOW!" Peter's roar shattered the nearby windows and Bella barely held back her shriek of surprise.

Emmett growled low, a soothing hand running up and down her back. Pulling her to stand in front of him, he curved his body around hers until his head rested atop hers and his arms wrapped almost completely around her torso. All it would take is some slight pressure on his part and she would crumple, effectively becoming like a turtle with Emmett acting as she shell.

Rosalie attempted to catch Peter in the stomach with her feet, but Peter easily blocked her by stepping closer. When she moved to knee him in the groin, Peter's grip tightened and he pinned his body fully against hers. Her caramel colored eyes widened in fear as cracks appeared beneath Peter's fingers.

"Start. Talking."

"Please, let go of me. I'll tell you everything. Just let go," Rosalie pleaded, her voice muffled from a restricted windpipe.

Wordlessly, Peter released her neck and took a step back. Bella could see his limbs trembling as he fought to restrain himself. Rosalie actually cowered in front of him, lowering herself to appear more submissive.

"I swear, I didn't do anything to her," Rosalie began.

"I don't really give a shit. Tell me about Victoria. Who is she?" Peter demanded.

"She's a nomadic vampire. I… I saw her the day I found Emmett. It was impossible not to smell the blood from the human, but Emmett was my first priority. He was so handsome, even with the bear mauling. I wanted him and so I picked him up. I saw Victoria, holding a baby. I didn't know what the baby was. I thought it was human since I could hear the heartbeat. I told myself I'd go back for it, to save it from her. After I dropped Emmett off with Carlisle, I returned to the spot in the woods. She was gone and there was no scent to follow, but I had only just begun searching when she appeared. She still had the baby. We talked and I tried to convince her to give the baby to me. She refused. I was prepared to fight for it, but she was too fast. She eluded me at every turn. Eventually, I had to give up, but the baby kept staring at me, frowning. I let her leave, but managed to follow at a distance. She led me to her camp where she currently lived with a few other vampires. One was obviously the leader and he took an instant dislike to the baby. He demanded Victoria get rid of it. For a few days, she kept the baby hidden, but he eventually found out and demanded she either kill the thing or he would do it for her. She was unable to kill it, having already grown attached. She thought of the infant as her own, so she took it to the closest coven she knew of: the Whitlocks. By this point, Bella had already been alive a week. I know Victoria has kept tabs on her because she kept watch over Bella while you and your mate remained in Mississippi."

"How do you know all this?" Peter asked.

Bella had to admit, she was amazed herself. How could she have forgotten the woman who raised her the first week of her life? What had happened to put the memories from her mind?

"Because I made sure to keep track of Victoria. I wanted to know where she was at all times. I didn't trust her with the baby. After she dropped it off with you and your mate, I couldn't exactly take her away. You would have fought me, but I could make sure to keep an eye on Victoria to make sure she didn't hurt it," Rosalie explained.

"You're lying. What are you hiding, Rose?" Jasper asked, moving forward to stand beside Peter. The two mimicked each other, arms crossed over their chests, scowl in place, feet shoulder width apart. It was a stance Bella was intimately familiar with as it was the same stance Peter took with her when she was being "difficult".

It was nice to know where he learned it from.

"I'm not hiding anything. That's what happened," Rosalie insisted.

"Bull shit."

Every head in the room snapped to stare at Emmett. Bella would have tilted her head to look at him, but the weight of his chin made that nearly impossible. Instead, she stroked a hand down his arm in silent question.

"Before we left the clearing for the last time, I asked you if anyone was around the day you found me. You told me no, that there hadn't been anyone. So, if you aren't lying now, why did you lie then?" Emmett asked and Bella could hear the repressed anger in his voice.

"Because I wanted you to be mine! _I_ found you dying, _I _rescued you, _I_ was there when she wasn't. It should have been _me_!" Rosalie shrieked.

"You knew as soon as I woke up from the change that I wasn't your mate. Why would you keep me from finding her?" Emmett asked, releasing Bella to stand slightly in front of her.

She kept hold of his arm, moving with him when he took a step towards Rosalie.

"You weren't supposed to remember. You were supposed to forget about ever seeing her. Victoria said it would work."

"What would work? What did she do to me?" Emmett practically snarled.

"It's her power. Or part of it, anyway. She can move through a crowd of vampires completely undetectable. Even if one of them did spot her, they wouldn't remember her after. She used her power to make Bella forget you and she tried to make you forget Bella, but it didn't work. You still went back to that damn spot over and over. Even after I told Carlisle we needed to move away, you still went back. Why couldn't you just accept me? What does she have that I don't?"

"It would take an eternity to lay it all out for you and I have better things to do with mine than to explain the differences to you. Now, where is this Victoria and how is it you remember her?" Emmett asked, his voice dangerously low.

"Because she wanted someone to know about her maker, just encase he ended up killing her. If it ever happened, she wanted me to protect the baby."

"Where is she?" Peter asked.

"I don't know."

"That's shit and you know it. This is the last time I'll ask. Where is Victoria?"

Rosalie looked at her then and Bella suddenly didn't want to know the answer. If Victoria was the vampire who had raised her, if she was the same vampire that delivered the venom induced semen to the front porch, Bella figured she was on their side. She didn't want to get her in trouble with her maker if she could help it.

"No."

This time, every head turned to look at Bella, but she kept watching Rosalie.

"Don't tell them. We don't need to know," Bella said.

"Bella, this Victoria could be the reason you're becomin' human," Peter said.

"I know, but it's not her fault. She's protected me all this time. She brought me to you and Char. She brought us the… venom. She shouldn't be punished for trying to help us," Bella insisted.

"And if she's behind this change? What then?" Peter pressed.

"She's not. Rosalie said, Victoria thinks of me as hers. She wouldn't want me hurt." Bella ignored Emmett's growl of possession in favor of staring down her father.

"This ain't right. We should track 'er down an' destroy 'er," Peter said, his accent thick in his distress.

"No. It's not her fault."

"Then whose is it? You are _dyin'_, Bella, and there's not a damned thing any of us can do to stop it!" Peter shouted, hands fisted in his hair.

Giving Emmett a reassuring pat as she passed, Bella moved forward until she was pressed up against Peter's chest, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Killing her won't save me, Peter," Bella whispered.

"Sure as hell would make me feel a lot better," Peter mumbled, his arms wrapping around her shoulders.

"I know, but we can't. She might be able to help us," Bella reasoned.

"I don't want her help, not if it means us losin' you. You know we can't do that, darlin'. Char and me would never recover. Not to mention that mate of yours might just destroy the closest city if it ever happened," Peter said, eying the way Emmett kept fisting and unfisting his hands.

Bella couldn't help it. With the stress of the day, finding out about her vampire mother, and discovering her mother's maker wanted her dead while her father wanted to kill her mother was just too much.

She laughed.

* * *

Bella wasn't sure what the problem was. She was fine. Better than fine, actually. She felt better than she had since this whole ordeal began, but for some reason, her mate was being difficult.

"Emmett, you need to calm down," Bella insisted gently.

"Let me go kill the bitch and I can," Emmett snapped, turning sharply to continue pacing.

"You know I can't let you do that."

"God _damn it_, Bella. Do you understand what you're forcing me to do? Do you realize the complete insanity I feel at _not_ being able to protect my mate? It goes against _everything_ inside me to allow that creature to continue breathing in the same world as you," Emmett snarled, turning to punch a nearby wall.

Bella watched as the wall crumbled around his fist, creating a rather large hole leading into the hallway. She was surprised when she didn't hear Esme scold him, but then figured it was due to the turmoil going on inside of him. It wasn't wise to kick a vampire when they were down.

"That bitch should be ashes by now. There is no, abso-fucking-lutely _no_, reason for her continued existence."

"Yes, there is," Bella said, calm and collected.

"What? What _possible_ reason could there be to allow her to go on living?" Emmett asked, venom flying in his anger as he rounded on her.

"She has answers. And I _need_ answers, Emmett."

He flinched at her words and Bella regretted having to hurt him, but she would not be budged. Victoria knew about her past, about her human mother, possibly about her father. Bella wanted to know anything and everything Victoria could even think of telling her.

"We don't have time to this. Every day you get weaker and weaker. Don't think I haven't noticed. God, Bells, you're fading right before my eyes and I can't do anything to stop it. I'm so fucking terrified of losing you and the one time I find a danger I can actually fight, you won't let me. I need something to fight, Bella, because if I don't have something I can defeat… I'm gonna lose you," Emmett whispered, falling to her knees beside their bed.

Tears clogging her throat, Bella crawled towards Emmett, her fingers brushing through his hair as she rubbed her cheek against his temple. His arms moved to wrap around her, his entire body trembling as she sought to comfort him.

Their mating hadn't exactly been easy. Bella knew that in most cases, the mating urge was so strong, vampires had to spend weeks, sometimes months, alone in order to completely assuage their desire to become one. The only thing that had kept her and Emmett from feeling the same urge was her imminent humanity. She was slowly moving past human frailty. Soon she would be weaker than humans and the thought frightened her, but she continued to have faith. She had to be strong for her mate and her family.

"I can't lose you, Bella. If we can't find a way to stop this… I won't be too far behind you," Emmett said softly.

"I know."

Bella comforted him as best she could. She knew she would never survive a world without Emmett. She couldn't very well expect him to live in a world without her. They could never be separated. If the venom flowing through her veins ended up killing her, she wanted Emmett with her as she moved on to the life after this one. She wanted them to be together. Any other thought was impossible to consider.

They had to stay together.

* * *

**Okay, so a little shorter, I think, than most chapters, but we got a whole lot of answers. Next chapter will be posted within the week. Happy New Year!**


	9. Chapter 7: Hope and Desperation

**A/N: The chapter has not been beta read. The revised version will be up at a later date.**

**Chapter Seven**

"Incredible!"

Emmett shared a look with Bella, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. She giggled back at him, making the day just a little bit brighter.

Carlisle had been staring into his microscope for the past thirty minutes, watching as the venom in the semen Victoria delivered merged with the venom flowing through Bella's blood. Emmett wasn't sure if what was happening on that little piece of glass was good or bad, but Carlisle was pretty damned excited about it.

"So, Carlisle, will the venom stop the transformation or not?" Bella asked, breaking through his mad scientist gig.

"Hmm? Oh, the venom. Right. No, no I'm afraid that if we were to locate the vampire in question and insert his venom into your blood stream, it would only increase the transformation all the more. No, my dear, you definitely don't want to run back into this vampire," Carlisle said with a dark chuckle.

"Then there's nothing we can do. There's no hope," Bella said, defeated.

"No. There has to be something. I can't… won't… let you leave me," Emmett swore, holding her tighter.

"And I should say you won't have to, son. The past hour or so I've been working on breaking down your DNA, Bella, and I think I've found the strand that belongs to your father. Of course, with nothing to match it to, I can't say who your father is, but I have high hopes that if he were to inject his venom into you, it would reverse the transformation," Carlisle beamed.

"So, we just have to find my father, who could be anywhere in the world, and hope he's nice enough to bite me?"

"Precisely. I'm sure it won't be too hard. We vampires are prone to familiarity, after all. I doubt he's left the states, but even if he has, I'm certain he's still on the continent. At the very worst, he could be in South America, but I'm quite, quite sure he's still in the Western Hemisphere," Carlisle concluded.

"And… how long do you think we have to find him?" Bella asked nervously.

Emmett's arms tightened around her, just as anxious for Carlisle's answer as she was.

"Based on the rate the venom is attacking your blood cells, I would say… one, maybe two weeks," Carlisle said regrettably.

Emmett closed his eyes, unable to bear the news. He could feel his body trembling, shaking the couch he and Bella were sitting on.

A week. He had one week, minimum, with his mate. God damn it, what was he supposed to do with that? A fucking _week_? It wasn't enough time. He'd just met her, just found her. He couldn't give her up already. He couldn't.

"Would this… vampire be in the system you set up? Could we track him that way?" Emmett asked through gritted teeth, keeping his eyes closed in an attempt to hide their darkness from the room.

"It's possible. I'm already running his venom through. I might manage to find something by the end of the day. In the meantime, I suggest we begin calling on our friends. They might know something or someone who can lead us to the male vampire making hybrids," Carlisle said, his footsteps already heading towards his phone.

Hot fingers lightly stroking his cheekbones had him opening his eyes to find the worried face of his mate. Her brown eyes were watery with unshed tears and Emmett felt like someone had stuck a hot poker through his gut.

"Don't cry, babe," Emmett pleaded, his thumb running back and forth under her eyes.

He'd barely gotten the words out before the first tears dropped onto his thumbs. Groaning at her pain, Emmett hauled her into his arms, rocking her gently as she sobbed into his shirt.

"We'll find him. I promise you, we will find him and get you better," Emmett vowed.

He didn't know if she heard or understood his words, but she clung to him a little tighter and Emmett knew she at least understood his desperation.

He wished, in that moment more than ever before, that they were a normal couple, enjoying their first month of being mated. He ached for the intimacy he couldn't have with her due to her weakening body. Every molecule, ever cell wanted her, whole and healthy, beautiful and strong, laid out beneath him as they completed the mating bond.

Instead, he held her tightly as she cried, unable to do anything to help her. He was powerless against the demon leeching her body of its strength and power. If he ever found the vampire who had done this to his mate, nothing on earth would stop him from lighting the bastard on fire.

"You're awesome," Bella sighed into his neck.

And his arms tightened just a bit because he _heard_ what she meant.

"You're awesomer."

* * *

The first few days after Carlisle's diagnosis were filled with phone calls to various covens around the Americas. Carlisle called the Denali's first, begging Eleazar to use his own contacts to try and find out some information. He had then made a call to Zafrina and her Amazonian sisters. They had offered some information on the Libishomen, a male vampire who seduced and impregnated human women. Emmett had hoped the information would lead to a name or location, but there had been no such luck.

When the two other main covens in the Americas had no other information to give, Carlisle began working on getting in contact with nomads he was familiar with. He managed to contact Mary fairly quickly, but Randall and Garrett took a bit more time to track down. Garrett had been wondering the streets of Boston and, due to his adventurous nature, had killed his phone in a fight with another vampire. It took about three days before he was able to return Carlisle's call, promising to keep an ear out for the vampire. Randall was in L.A., enjoying the night life the city had to offer and had simply misplaced his phone at one of his many haunts. All three had offered to contact other nomads and see if they could pin down a location for his mate's father.

By the end of the second day, Carlisle had a name for Bella.

Joham: a very busy vampire from the looks of it. He had four children already listed, Bella being only the second youngest. It worried Emmett that the man was still at large, but Carlisle assured him it was under the Volturi's supervision.

Emmett wanted to know how the hell Bella had managed to escape, unnoticed by the Volturi for so long. Carlisle had a few theories, but he and Bella were content to wait to hear the answer from her father.

As soon as the tests came back with a name, Peter had called Charlotte. The woman called just as often as she said she would, at least twice a day. She always made sure to say good night to Bella and his little mate couldn't go to sleep without hearing from her mother. Well, that and a goodnight kiss from him.

He was getting worried, though, as she began requiring more and more sleep. Her skin was becoming almost translucent, nearly all of her veins visible to the human eye. She'd lost her appetite as well, causing her to lose even more weight. Nothing he or Peter did seemed to help and she spent most of the day sitting. When she did need to move, Emmett usually carried her as any amount of walking tired her out.

By the end of the week, he knew she wasn't going to make it and was already making plans on how to end his own life. He couldn't, wouldn't, survive without her.

They were currently watching TV with Peter, her head in his lap. She was buried under about three blankets, always cold now. The dark circles under her eyes made her look like a thirsty vampire and Emmett couldn't help but trace them as she slept, wishing they would fade.

"Carlisle says he's going to have to put her on an IV soon," Peter mumbled, not taking his eyes off the TV.

"I know. I told him tomorrow. I wanted her to have one more day," Emmett said.

He didn't bother lowering his voice. With the way Bella had been sleeping lately, he almost hoped his voice would wake her up.

"I can smell it on her."

Emmett didn't have to ask what he meant. He could smell it, too. It was the smell of a human right before the last of their blood was drained. Death was coming for his mate, sooner than any of them were prepared for.

"Char said to call her if she takes a turn for the worse. I think… I think I'm going to call her tonight. She'll... she'll want to be here for when…" Peter trailed off, his voice husky in his grief.

"Probably a good idea," Emmett agreed, his voice almost emotionless.

Bella shifted in her sleep, a soft sigh escaping between chapped lips. Emmett ran a hand through her dry, almost brittle hair and she settled back down, murmuring his name. He frozen heart nearly shattered at the sound, but he fought down his reaction, unwilling to show how broken he was. He would remain strong for her. It was the only thing keeping him going at this point.

"I'm going to go check and see how the search is going. Maybe they've found something," Peter said, standing to go talk to Carlisle.

The house was quiet, with most of the family out looking for Joham or Victoria. Rosalie and Edward had left the day after Rose dropped the bomb to try and find answers from Victoria. So far, they hadn't had much luck. Alice and Jasper were joining the hunt for Joham, traveling south to contact some old war buddies of Jasper's. They thought they might have found something, but so had Garrett at his last check-in and he was in Illinois.

So, they continued to play the waiting game and hope somebody found the bastard soon.

"Anything?"

"Nothing new, though I was able to get a name on Victoria's maker. Do you know a nomadic vampire by the name James?"

"Name rings a bell, but I never met him."

"He's kept mostly to Canada, but he comes down into the northern states occasionally. He's amassed quite a few female companions, but Victoria seems to be his first. They found each other in London around the early to mid-1800s. Her powers allowed her to avoid his tracking skills and it intrigued him. When he finally tracked her down, he kept her instead of disposing of her. Since then, he's gathered as many of five other females and two males, at last count."

"Damn. How the hell did he find Bella?"

"As to that, I can only speculate. Perhaps he followed Victoria on one of her visits. Rosalie said she kept an eye on Bella all these years. It's possible she wasn't careful enough on her latest visit."

"But… there's no mark. Do we still not have any idea as to how he injected her?"

"I assume it wasn't by his teeth as he wouldn't want to leave a mark. I wonder, though… Yes, it's possible. Quite possible. Hmm."

"What?"

"Well, he could have used some sort of needle, but… how would he have broken through her skin?"

"Her skin is softer than ours, if only slightly."

"Yes, yes. Soft… A soft place on her body… Hmm. But, no, she would have healed herself. There wouldn't be a mark."

Emmett tuned them out, no longer wanting to listen to their speculations on how his mate had been infected. All he cared about was finding a solution, a cure.

"Mmm. What time is it?" Bella asked, slowly blinking her eyes open.

"A little past two in the afternoon," Emmett told her.

"I slept too long," Bella mumbled.

"No."

She was quiet for a long time, simply staring at the TV.

"Em?"

"Yeah?"

"It's soon."

"I know, babe."

"You'll be there?"

"Where the hell else would I be?"

"Good. If you're there, I won't be so scared."

Emmett tried not to let his emotions take over, but talking to her about her own death was too painful.

"Just… don't give up yet, Bella. Hold on for as long as you can. There… there's still hope," Emmett practically choked out.

"I'll keep my heart beating as long as I can," Bella promised.

Listening to the slower than normal fluttering in her chest, Emmett prayed it would be enough.

* * *

**So, things are getting a bit desperate, huh? Next chapter will be up within a week!**

**See you then!**


	10. Chapter 8: Death Comes Knocking

**A/N: This chapter has yet to be beta read.**

**Chapter Eight**

It hadn't been enough. Her beautiful little girl was still dying and there was nothing she could do to help her Isabella. The thought pained her more than she'd thought possible considering her immortality.

She knew Rosalie had told them of her involvement, of how she had saved Isabella from the woods that day, taken her back to Him, and cared for her. She knew the Cullens were angry and wanted answers, but she couldn't give them. Despite the fact that she had watched over Isabella almost her entire life, there was nothing she knew that would benefit them now. She didn't know who Isabella's father was and wouldn't know how to find him even if she did.

As to how He had found Isabella, she had a few theories, but the idea that he had followed her without her knowledge was impossible. She had no scent and left no trail. Anyone who saw her would never remember her. She blended into the background so well, she was often forgotten even when she wasn't actively using her power.

He was a smart man, though, and his tracking skills were better than even the Volturi's hound dog, Demetri. In the end, it wouldn't take much for Him to realize she still lived. All it would take is one person having come in contact with Isabella to come across Him and He'd know. She knew that was how it had happened, the only way it could have happened.

As she watched the Cullens move Isabella into the doctor's office, she knew her time was limited. She wouldn't live long after Isabella's heart stopped beating. No mother should outlive their child.

But she could do one thing for her beautiful Isabella before that time came.

Taking a deep breath in preparation, she turned away from the Cullen home and headed back to the camp.

* * *

"Comfortable?" Carlisle asked, holding up a syringe.

"As comfortable as I can be," Bella mumbled with a weak smile.

Emmett trembled watching her, so frail and lifeless on the hospital bed. Carlisle had "borrowed" the bed from work, claiming a family need. He'd set the bed up in his office along with the machines necessary to keep his Bella alive. Emmett wished he could cry as he watched Carlisle insert the IV into Bella's arm, knowing it was their last hope.

"How's that feel?" Carlisle asked, already inventorying other parts of her body.

"Fine, I guess," Bella sighed, shrugging slightly.

"Let me know if it starts to pull," Carlisle instructed, examining the bag hanging over her head.

Bella nodded against her pillow, her eyes already drifting shut.

She'd just woken up two hours ago when Emmett had carried her from their room into Carlisle's office. In all honesty, he was surprised she'd managed to stay awake as long as she had. The move had tired her out and her body was desperately trying to heal itself against the poison infecting it. Every passing second of the clock marked a step closer to her end and Emmett wanted to roar in agony as the _tick-tick-tick_ mocked him.

"That was Char. She'll be here within the hour," Peter whispered, shutting his phone as he entered the room.

Emmett nodded, unable to speak in his current state. He hovered over her bed, eyes closed as he listened to the _whoo-whoosh_ of her lungs and the _thu-thump_ of her heart. He was holding on by a thread and they all knew it.

"Carlisle's trying to reach the others, but so far he's only managed to get in touch with Edward and Rosalie. They're on their way back now," Peter continued.

Emmett shuddered, hearing what Peter didn't say.

They were giving up hope.

Desperate for any connection he could get, Emmett grasped her frail hand in his much larger one, struggling not to grip it too tightly. She sighed at the contact, shifting slightly towards him even in sleep.

There was nothing left for them to do but wait.

* * *

Emmett heard the shift in her breathing before the monitors picked up on it and he jumped to his feet, the chair he'd been sitting in going through the wall with the force of his abrupt movement.

"Carlisle!" Emmett shouted, but his father was already there, moving over Bella with careful precision.

She whimpered, her body trembling as she fought for air.

"Sit her up," Carlisle instructed and Emmett had her sitting in the blink of an eye.

Her eyes flashed open and met his with a kind of panic that made him want to scream.

"Breathe, babe. Please, you gotta breathe for me," Emmett pleaded desperately.

She struggled to take breathes and her face was turning blue right before his eyes.

"Carlisle, do something!" Emmett demanded, the force of his helplessness crashing over him with all the force of a two thousand ton boulder.

"Open her mouth," Carlisle said, tube in hand.

Emmett worked her jaw open, ignoring her flailing hands that grasped for his wrists. Working together, they managed to insert the tube down her throat. In the next instant, Carlisle had the machine whirring away and a needle in Bella's arm.

"Relax, Bella," Carlisle said, his voice soothing.

Gradually, with the help of the ventilator and Carlisle's drug, she was able to relax back onto the bed. Emmett wasn't satisfied until her breathing evened out and her color returned, but he waited until she shut her eyes before giving in to the fear.

"Oh, God. Please, don't take her. Please," Emmett cried, falling to his knees.

"Easy, son. Easy. Don't give up yet," Carlisle encouraged, moving around to embrace Emmett.

"I can't. Oh, God, Carlisle, I can't lose her," Emmett said, eyes filled with venom tears.

"I know, Emmett. I know," Carlisle whispered.

Despite the fact that Emmett was a fully grown man, as he sat there in the arms of a man who had been like a father to him for seventy years, he felt more like a child than ever before. He was lost and was desperate for something to hold on to.

"We'll leave her on the ventilator for now. She shouldn't have any more trouble breathing," Carlisle said gently.

Emmett nodded, gradually pulling out of the embrace. He reminded himself that Bella needed him to be strong. He couldn't let her see him fall apart.

"Good man," Carlisle said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Pop," Emmett muttered.

He dragged a chair back beside her bed and resumed his position at her side. Her hand in his felt almost normal and it worried him. She'd always been hotter than him, hotter than even a human. Unable to bear the thought, Emmett rubbed his cheek against her palm, a deep rumbling starting in his chest and vibrating out. The growl was for her, a reminder that he was there to protect her.

If only he could have protected her from this.

* * *

The ventilator didn't last long on its own. By the following morning, Charlotte had arrived and with her a whole host of new problems. Carlisle was having trouble keeping Bella's organs from failing, exhausting every resource to keep her alive minute by minute. Emmett couldn't so much as think about living her and he became a constant shadow hovering over her bed as Carlisle worked.

At the foot of her bed, Peter and Charlotte stood sentry, their arms wrapped supportively around each other. Peter hadn't been able to stop shaking since he'd come in to find his little girl on the ventilator. Now, as Bella seemed to have more tubes in her than veins, it was all Charlotte could do to keep her mate standing.

While Emmett could understand, he hated their show of weakness, feeling as though it was working with the clock, slowly leeching Bella's life out of her. She needed them to be strong, but Peter's hopelessness was like a cancer, spreading through the house. If Emmett weren't so focused on watching his mate, he'd have thrown the vampire from the room long ago.

As it was, he couldn't. Any move on his part and he worried he'd damage Bella further, so he remained as still as a statue, her hand clasped in his immovable one. He watched the not-so-steady rise and fall of her chest, counting breaths and heartbeats as they waited for news, any news, about her father, the only person who could save her.

"I'm sorry, Emmett, but there's nothing more I can do. Her body is giving up."

Carlisle voice was soft and soothing, and probably the same voice he used on countless others whom he'd had to tell that their loved one was dying. Emmett instantly hated the sound of his maker's voice.

"No, she can hold on a little longer. Just a little longer, babe," Emmett said as venom filled his eyes.

"You only prolong her suffering. Perhaps it would be better to just let her go," Carlisle said quietly.

"No! No, not until her heart stops beating. She promised… she promised. I won't let her go." He began with a shout and ended with a whisper, incapable of maintaining his anger as he watched his little mate.

"Em."

Emmett managed to tear his eyes away from Bella's chest to find Charlotte's steady gaze. Despite the tears welling that would never fall, her voice was strong as she spoke.

"She can't hold on any longer. We need to be strong enough so that she can let go."

He shook under the force of her gaze, unable to accept what she was saying.

"I can't," Emmett breathed.

"You can. For her, you can," Charlotte said, still in that same strong, steady voice.

Emmett looked back at Bella, taking in her sunken, sallow skin, the dark circles under her eyes, the bones of her wrist, collar, cheeks, jaw, ribs, ankles, all protruding under the strain of keeping her alive. He wanted to scream out in despair, knowing it was cruel to keep holding on to her, but unable to let her go until all hope had vanished.

Helplessly, he lifted her hand to his face, turning her palm so that her fingers brushed across his cheek. He ached for the decision he was about to make, but he saw no other alternative. It was either let her continue to suffer or kill her.

The two sides of his mating bond with Bella warred with one another. It was his job to protect her from any and all pain, but it was also his job to make sure that, even if he died, she lived. To take away her pain would be to kill her, but to kill her went against everything within him.

"I can't kill her," Emmett practically sobbed.

"You're not. Oh, Emmett, you're not killin' her. You're savin' her," Charlotte insisted.

"Darlin', no. Don't," Peter pleaded, falling to his knees as Charlotte moved to comfort Emmett.

"We've had seventy good years with her, Peter, but I refuse to let our little girl suffer any longer. It's time," Charlotte said.

"Please, not yet. God, just not yet," Peter sobbed, his head hitting the floor with a loud boom.

Torn between comforting Emmett and hold Peter together, Charlotte paused. With a gentle shove, Emmett pushed her back towards her mate as he stood to lean over his.

"I love you, babe. I'm sorry I never told you, but maybe… maybe after this is over and if we end up in the same place, I'll get to tell you there. Wait for me, Bella. I won't be far behind you," Emmett promised, leaning down to kiss her still lips.

Choking on sobs, he reached over and jerked the machines keeping his Bella alive. With a fatal chirp, they died. The ventilator gave one more pump before stopping half-way. The heart machine flat-lined, filling the room with a constant tone. The IV stopped dripping and the dialysis machine stopped whirring. The only sound in the room was the hum of electricity in the walls and the stuttering sound of Bella's heart.

Emmett crouched over his mate, alternating between growls and sobs as her heart slowed, the beats becoming farther and farther apart. Just as her heart reached 20 bpm, there was a shout from downstairs.

Furious at the interruption, Emmett roared in response, his eyes torn between the doorway and Bella. The decision was made for him with a filthy redhead came speeding through the door, a blond vampire head held in her hand.

When the vampire saw Bella and took in the still machines along with Emmett's crouched position, she let out a wail, falling to her knees.

"No! My darling Isabella, no! I killed Him for you! I killed Him!" the woman screeched as she crawled forward.

Emmett hissed at the creature, turning to further protect his mate. In a flash, Charlotte and Peter restrained the sobbing vampire, pinning her to the floor as she thrashed and screamed in agony. Emmett watched as they pulled her head back, Peter's teeth poised at her throat. Just before decapitation, Edward came racing into the room.

"Stop! It's Victoria!"

Peter only paused momentarily before ripping the bitch's head off and tossing it aside. Even removed from her body, Victoria screamed silently and her body continued to squirm towards Bella. While Peter and Charlotte tried to hold her down to remove the rest of her limbs, another sound reached Emmett. Two pairs of footsteps racing across the yard and into the house. Carlisle barely had time to shout a warning before the vampires were standing in the doorway behind Edward.

"Who the fuck are you?" Peter snarled.

Emmett would have answered, but he was too preoccupied trying to defend his mate without hurting her further. Her heartbeat was continuing the slow, the beats coming nearly thirty seconds apart. He knew it was her vampire blood that continued to try to save her, just as he knew the foreign venom was still winning.

The female vampire was familiar to him. Mary had visited the Cullen coven on a few occasions since Emmett had joined, but the male was new to him. Judging from the way he held himself, however, he was not new to the vampire world. This man had lived a long time and it was to him Peter snapped at as he entered the room.

"It matters not. Remove yourself from the girl," the man said.

Emmett hissed a warning, debating whether or not he could attack the man without injuring his mate.

"I don't wish to harm her," he said, holding out his hands submissively.

"Emmett, he's going to-" Edward started.

"Silence, boy! This is not your concern," the man snapped, glaring at Edward.

It was the wrong move. Emmett sprang across the room, intent on tearing the man's head from the rest of his body. Just as he was about to land on the vampire's shoulders, a dark blur came at him from the side. Twisting with the force of impact, Emmett tried to fight Mary off. Days of not hunting had taken their toll, however, and he was unable to subdue the much smaller woman.

She pulled his arms behind his back and forced him to watch as the man approached his Bella.

"Get away from her!" Emmett spat, renewing his struggles.

Without even glancing his way, the man bent over Bella's prone body, her heart giving one last thump, and sank his teeth into her jugular.

* * *

**Okay, so a little short, but a lot of stuff happening.**

**It's that time of the year again. Moving back to school, so the next few days are going to be a little hectic, but hopefully writing won't be stopped for long.**

**Next chapter is already written and will be up within a week. **


	11. Chapter 9: Family

**Chapter Nine**

With a feral roar unlike anything he'd heard before, Emmett threw Mary across the room, resulting in a vampire sized hole through the next three walls. Emmett didn't pause to look, simply launched himself at the man who had just stole the last few seconds of his time with his mate.

Speech was beyond him. All he could think about was killing the male who'd dared take what was his.

"Emmett, no!"

Once again, he was blindsided, this time by his so called brother. Edward pinned him to the ground, easily avoiding Emmett's snapping teeth.

"Listen! Emmett, listen!" Edward shouted.

Snarling at the man who stood between him and vengeance, Emmett spun them over, rolling the two across the floor. In the back of his mind, he could hear someone sobbing and someone else shouting instructions, but all Emmett could see was red.

"Emmett, she's okay," Edward choked out past the hold Emmett had on his throat.

"Em, let him go."

Someone touched his shoulder and he roared in response.

_Whack!_

The slap to the back of the head made him snarl in anger and Edward whimpered in response. The hand that had hit him grabbed his hair, pulling his head back and baring his neck, making him pause long enough for Edward to slither out of his grip and dart from the room.

_Yesss._

If his Bella was gone, he didn't want to live.

"My God, you're so stubborn. Open your eyes, Emmett, and look at your mate."

Damn it, why wouldn't she just kill him? He didn't need to open his eyes to see what he already knew. His mate was gone.

"Emmett."

With strength he didn't know he possessed, he ripped out of Charlotte's hold and practically dove for the bed, scooping up his mate as he went flying over it, and cradling her as he landed on the other side, using the hospital bed as a barrier between them and the rest of the room.

Chocolate eyes stared up at him with a mix of surprise and concern. He shuddered as her hand came up to frame his face, but was unable to close his eyes for fear that this was all a dream.

"Are you alright?"

God, her voice cut through him like a knife. All he could do was sob tearlessly, hold her close, and take in her delicious scent with every gasp.

"I'm here, Em. I'm fine," Bella whispered, her hands cupping his face as his ran all over her body, assuring himself that she was real.

"I love you."

It seemed important that she hear these words from him first, now that he'd been given a second chance with her. Brown eyes watered with tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're awesomer."

And, oh, God, nothing could've sounded better in that moment than those two words and, somehow, his little mate had known exactly what he needed to hear.

"Ehem. I don't mean to interrupt, but you really should give the doctor a chance to look her over."

Emmett turned, snarl ready, to attack whoever dared try to take his time with his mate away. His gaze landed on the vampire who'd bit her and he could feel his eyes darken. If he hadn't been holding Bella and loathe to let her go, he would've attacked the bastard right then and there.

"Come, now. All these dramatics are tiring. Allow Dr. Cullen to look over the girl before you do her further damage," the vampire insisted.

"Who are you?" Emmett asked, the question sounding more like a threat than anything else.

"I am the man who saved your mate's life. I would appreciate it if you would allow the doctor to make sure she remains alive."

"Not good enough. Give me a name," Emmett snapped, clutching Bella to him tighter.

"Very well. I am Joham, the girl's father."

Emmett hadn't thought himself capable of hating the man any more, but after hearing who exactly he was, his rage tripled.

If Bella hadn't immediately turned into him for comfort, he would've attacked the man once more. As it was, he couldn't quite get his growling or venom under control.

"Emmett. May I?" Carlisle asked.

He waited until Emmett nodded before moving forward to check Bella over. Emmett couldn't take his eyes of the bastard who had supplied one-half of his mate's DNA. He was a sperm donor and that was it. Calling himself Bella's father was complete blasphemy and Emmett could tell Peter and Charlotte both took exception to the idea.

"Everything looks good, Bella. You're healing remarkably well. I expect you'll be back to yourself in no time," Carlisle declared with a smile.

"That isn't entirely true, doctor. I suggest that if you want to keep the girl alive, that one of you bite her. And soon," Joham said in the same droll manner he'd been using since his arrival.

"Are you fucking crazy? It would kill her!" Emmett snarled, tempted to shove Bella behind him.

"No, it would have before she underwent this change. My venom could not restore her original state as a hybrid. It only succeeded in saving her human life. She is as human as her mother was," Johan said.

"It's true. I feel… different. Not like before, but still not like I felt before James injected me," Bella said.

"I can run some tests, make sure her blood with accept the venom," Carlisle offered.

"Do it. But not today. We'll worry about it tomorrow," Emmett decided, rising with his mate in hand.

"I wouldn't wait too long. She's over seventy years old. Soon she'll start to look and feel like it," Joham warned.

Emmett had to keep himself from snapping his teeth at the man. As it was, he could barely get his next words out without spraying the room with venom.

"I appreciate your help in saving Bella, but your services are no longer required. Leave now."

"Emmett," Bella scolded softly.

"No. He abandoned you and Ellie, babe. He left both of you to die. If Victoria hadn't taken you in, you wouldn't have lasted on your own. I don't want him here," Emmett insisted.

Bella blinked up at him before turning to face the man who had given her life.

"You probably should leave, but… I have some questions. If you don't mind staying nearby…" Bella trailed off uncertainly.

"I shall leave a number at which you can reach me, but I'm afraid I cannot linger. I was in the middle of some rather important business before the woman dragged me here," Joham said stiffly.

Emmett hissed at him when he smelled Bella's unshed tears.

"Alright. Thanks, I guess. And thanks for saving me," Bella mumbled, turning into his chest.

"My pleasure."

With that, he was gone, just as quickly as he'd come. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, Mary took off after him. Emmett figured they might have some things to discuss as there was no way Mary would have ever stepped between a raging vampire protecting his mate unless she was protecting hers as well. Emmett just hoped the bastard didn't hurt her, but he knew Mary was tough. She wouldn't stand for any misbehavior.

"Come on, babe. Let's get you settled," Emmett said, carrying his mate from the room.

He saw Peter move to step forward, but thankfully Charlotte kept him back. Emmett knew the man was eager to be with Bella, but Emmett needed time alone with his mate and he refused to put it off any longer than necessary. Besides, they all needed time to process the past hour.

It was with no hesitation or regret that Emmett proceeded to lock himself and Bella in his room for the remainder of the day.

* * *

"Do you think it will hurt?"

They had been mostly silent since coming into the room, caught up in just breathing each other in. Every breath he took confirmed what that bastard father of hers had said. Her scent was different, no longer holding the subtle scent of a vampire. Instead, she smelled deliciously human, the blood flowing beneath her skin a temptation even to him.

"I don't know, babe. For a normal human, it's worse than hell. For a human who was already half vampire before becoming fully human? I don't think even Carlisle will be able to answer that for us," Emmett admitted.

She was lay quiet for a few minutes while he traced along the veins that were now so vital to her continued existance. She was so much more fragile now and he felt an overwhelming urge to protect her.

"I think I want to feel the burn," Bella whispered.

"Why?"

Emmett tried to keep the horror from his voice and he managed to do well for the most part, his question coming out more inquisitive than horrified

"It'll feel more like I earned it. I didn't have to do anything other than be born a hybrid and that alone made me special. I don't want to be different anymore. I just want to be normal," Bella said, sounding weary.

"Hate to break it to you, babe, but vampires are exactly normal," Emmett chuckled.

"Well, they're the most normal thing in my world," Bella said with a small shrug.

Silence descended upon them again as each contemplated their own thoughts. When Bella sighed, snuggling closer to his side, he breathed deeply, enjoying the burn that flared like a torch in his throat. So worth it to be able to have her close, breathing, _living_.

"Why don't you sleep for a while? I'm sure you need it," Emmett suggested, moving them so they were fully laid out on the bed.

"Will you wake me if I sleep too late?" Bella mumbled, already drifting off into the land of dreams.

"Sure."

He listened to her gentle inhales and exhales, the soft beats of her heart.

"Em?"

"Yeah."

"I love you, too."

"I know, Bella."

* * *

The night passed in a series of visits from his family. Charlotte and Peter came first, entering a few hours after Bella had fallen asleep. They simply sat with their daughter for a time, each holding onto the other as they watched the girl they'd raised from infancy sleep the sleep of a human. No words were spoken throughout that visit as the three of them knew without speaking that each was thanking every deity known to man, and some unknown to man, that Bella was alive.

It was during that time that Charlotte began to cry, tears of guilt clouding her eyes as she thought about hers words before Joham had bitten her daughter. She'd been prepared to watch her daughter die and only upon seeing her whole and healthy again did the reality of the situation hit home. She had come so close to losing her darling little Bella forever.

Peter comforted her as best he could, but he was also reeling from his daughter's life. He had feared never making another horrible human meal again, but he vowed to make her pancakes upon her awaking, determined to give her all the best human experiences before they injected her with the venom that would end her very short human life.

When Charlotte's grief became too much for her to bear, she and Peter left, taking themselves off into the woods to expend some of their more volatile emotions.

Not long after they left, Carlisle entered the bedroom, a vial and syringe in hand. His silent request to draw blood was met with an equally silent nod from Emmett. He'd warily eyed the door as Carlisle prepared to create an open wound on his mate's arm, knowing  
Edward still resided in the house and might be overcome by his desire for his singer's blood. If her hybrid state had driven him to attacking, Emmett could only imagine what her human blood would do.

The small vial was filled without Bella so much as stirring. Carlisle's ability to locate a vein, insert the needle, draw blood, and remove the needle quickly, all without tying off Bella's arm, created a relatively painless procedure.

Practically cackling with glee at having yet another new test to run, Carlisle hurried from the room, muttering to himself about the properties of her new blood, noting the difference in scent and wondering if it held a difference in taste or texture.

Emmett didn't want to know.

Esme visited next, her motherly instincts causing her to check in on both Emmett and Bella. Her fingers had run through his hair as she'd held him close, allowing him to break down in her arms. He'd come so close to losing her, _so_ _fucking close_, and the panic and pain of her last few moments as a hyrbid vampire were still fresh in his mind. He couldn't bare the thought of her not being with him, of not having her warm body pressed against his even as he clung to the woman who had been like a mother to him for seventy years.

She'd stayed long enough to offer him comfort and make sure he didn't need a thermos of blood before going to check on how Carlisle was doing with Bella's blood sample.

Alice poked her head in at one point, but didn't enter the room, simply watched the two of them for a few minutes before disappearing once more. If Emmett hadn't been used to his sister's oddities, it might have disturbed him, but he knew Alice would let him know if there was something in the future that he needed to know.

Jasper casually walked by once or twice, always sending out peaceful, reassuring vibes. Usually, these passbys coincided with either Bella's dreams turning dark or Emmett's emotions threatening to overtake him again. Each time, he made sure to send out some gratitude to his stoic brother.

The only two he didn't see throughout the night were Rosalie and Edward, but he could hear them. At one point, Rosalie crept into Edward's room while Carlisle was busy with his research and the rest of the family joined Peter and Charlotte in the woods.

It didn't take any time at all for the two to come together, their impassioned cries muffled in an attempt to keep Carlisle from investigating, but they needn't have worried. Carlisle was so wrapped up in his research, he would have missed a train plowing through the house.

No, it was only Emmett would was privy to the sounds of the two going at it like a bunch of wild animals, their grunts and growls seeming to echo through his mind. He briefly wondered if Rosalie wasn't trying to make him jealous as she was more vocal than usual. If it was an attempt to get him to rejoin the two in the bedroom, she failed miserably. Nothing and no one could compare to the beautiful angel currently slumbering at his side.

He smiled slightly as Bella welcomed the rising sun with a lovely bit of drool sliding down her cheek and onto the pillow. As much sleeping as she'd done before her… encounter… she obviously hadn't managed to get much in the way of rest. He noticed the same thing with humans. Even after they managed to defeat whatever virus plagued them, they always required sleep even after the virus was gone to complete the healing process. Emmett figured Bella would be no different.

It wasn't until nearly noon that his mate's eyes began to flicker, indicating she was close to waking up. The rest of the family had returned hours prior and he could smell pancakes cooking below. He told himself he would sit through as many pancakes as Bella could eat, so long as he didn't ever have to worry about losing her again.

She woke with a stretch and a groan, the shirt she was wearing (his shirt), riding high on her thighs, teasing him relentlessly.

"Morning," Bella mumbled, rubbing tiredly at her eyes.

"Good morning."

Emmett couldn't help but grin. After the emotion of the night before and all the days prior, he was just so damned thrilled that they could begin to move past it all and start their lives together.

"What time is it?" Bella asked, rolling towards him and onto her stomach.

"11:53."

She gasped, jolting up on her arms and turning towards the clock for confirmation.

"Why'd you let me sleep so late?" she asked, scrambling from the covers.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest, laughing as she continued to struggle.

"Because you needed it and I just couldn't bare to wake you. You were too adorable, drooling all over my pillow," Emmett teased.

"What?!"

She practically shrieked as she looked at the pillow, which was indeed slightly damp in one area.

"Oh, God. Why didn't you nudge me or something?" Bella groaned and Emmett could feel the blush traveling across her body through their t-shirts.

"You needed the rest and, like I said, it was adorable," Emmett chuckled.

In a move faster than she would have been able to see, he had them both out of bed and in the bathroom, his arms still wrapped around her waist as they faced the mirror together. He had to admit, they made a good picture.

Her long brown hair fell past his arms as they encircled her ribcage just under her breasts. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders and her slight frame was dwarfed by his much larger one. He imagined walking down the street with her, his arm thrown around her shoulders (because the thought of even a foot of space between their bodies was just too much to even consider) and he knew people would stop a stare. Not because of his size or her beauty, but because they fit and anyone who looked at them would be able to see it.

"Do what you gotta do, but don't take a shower yet," Emmett said, knowing with the way she ate pancakes she would need to shower after breakfast.

"Why?"

He debated telling her, but decided it would be better to prepare her for what awaited downstairs.

"Peter's making you pancakes."

She stared at him in the mirror for a solid minute before a dreamy look came over her face and she moaned appreciatively.

"_Mmmm. Pancakes._"

* * *

**A/N: Okay. Still trying to get into a routine, so the next chapter might take a little while or it might be up really soon. Not entirely sure, to be honest. But I will see you guys then!**


End file.
